Samuel Mbewe
Ministry of Agriculture Director Dr Chizumba Shepande has challenged farmers in the country to produce more for outside as the demand for mealie- meal continue to grow.
Dr Shepande has noted with concern that Zambians have been complaining of maize and mea- meal being smuggled to Congo when the country can produce more for the available market in the neighboring DRC.
He said South Africa and other countries are preparing to produce more for the Congo Market which the Zambian farmers can take advantage of by producing more maize for export and bring foreign exchange for the country.
Dr. Shepande was speaking during the Launch of National Conservation Agriculture Baseline survey and National Conservation Agriculture frame work.
And Food and Agriculture Organization says it remains committed to support the Government of Zambia in its quest to increase adoption of Conservation Agriculture by farmers especially the small-holder famers.
Ronald Msoni who is an Agronomist at FAO says the Adoption of Conservation Agriculture by farmers remains relatively low, below 30%.
He says FAO in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture is promoting CA under the EU funded Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farmers project in Zambia
Mr. Msoni said the project is being implanted in 27 Districts and five provinces in Zambia.
He further adds that FAO is also on the ground training over 20,000 smallholder farmers on conservation agriculture through the SIFAZ and SCRALA Projects.
Mr. Msoni was speaking during the Launch of National Conservation Agriculture Baseline survey and National Conservation Agriculture frame works.
Meanwhile, Climate Alliance Chairperson Dailesi Judge says the agriculture sector in Zambia which contributes 20% to the National GDP is being threatened due to the adverse impacts of climate change owing to the fact that the sector is mainly rain fed making it one of the most climate sensitive sectors of the economy.