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Zambia: Govt Agro Vision to Focus On Food Security

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Original Post Date: 2010-09-15 Time: 21:00:03  Posted By: News Poster

THE Government’s vision for the agriculture sector up to 2015 and beyond will be promoted taking into account the comparative advantage in crops, livestock, and fisheries production.

The long term vision for the sector encompasses achieving national food security for the majority of the Zambian population through increased yields and improved post harvest management and utilisation.

The Government will endeavour to develop commercial agriculture with all the farmers producing for domestic and export markets.

Promoting a competitive and efficient agriculture base on regional comparative advantage and the development of a diversified agriculture linked to a well developed agro-business industry for value adding and exports are other efforts being pursued.

Agriculture Minister Peter Daka said the State will facilitate the entry of cooperatives and farmers organisation into highly competitive and commercial agriculture.

Mr Daka says given Zambia’s resource endowment in fisheries, the Government will facilitate development of fisheries and livestock sub sectors.

He says enhancing fish productivity will be achieved through measures put in place, conserve and maintain bio-diversity of aquatic resources through improved monitoring, creation of fish sanctuaries and restocking over-fished water bodies.

The Government will continue regulating and controlling the marketing, exploitation and movement of endangered and ornamental fish species and trading gears.

The national agriculture policy on promoting conservation of fisheries resources states that formation of the community fishing groups or associations will be encouraged for effective dissemination of fisheries management information and appropriate fishing techniques.

Legislation for sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources will be strengthened and the Government through the ministry will collaborate with neighbouring countries in the management of aquatic resources in shared water bodies like lakes Tanganyika, Kariba and Mweru.

The other shared water bodies are Luapula and Zambezi rivers.

The main focus in the fisheries has been promoting community based resource management of capture fisheries thereby improving catches.

Concerted efforts are being made to promote aquaculture development by having better processing facilities and the distribution network.

Under the same vision, food crops such as cassava, beans, maize, sorghum, millet sweet potatoes and groundnuts are targeted for increased production and productivity.

Other targets for massive production, protection and research include indigenous horticulture (fruits and vegetables).

With commercialisation of the sector, it is expected that an increased number of small scale farmers will be integrated into commercial production through outgrower arrangements or as individuals.

Major cash crops and high value crops to targeted include cotton,tobacco, groundnuts, paprika, cashew nuts, soya beans, castor, sesame, marigold, herbs and spices in agro ecologic regions.

Large scale commercial farm production of cash and export crops like floriculture and horticultural products are also promoted and it is expected that production of these products will double by 2015 and beyond.

Overall, crop production increases will come from expansion of area under cultivation, expansion of land under irrigation from the current estimated 50, 000 to 90, 000 hectares by 2015.

Increased production through improved variety research releases and better research and extension linkages, use of better and sustainable farming practices including conservation agriculture and low input agriculture and increased use of animal draught power are being encouraged.

Post harvest losses will be reduced from the current 30 per cent to less than 10 per cent by 2015.

In the livestock sector, the main thrust is to control livestock disease of national economic importance, that is, those diseases of an epidemic nature and have a trans-boundary significant.

The other area of emphasis involves restocking and increasing overall animal production which some provinces like central province where the restocking exercise has succeeded.

Notwithstanding the emphasis on development of small scale famers, a conducive environment is being provided for growth of large scale farming sector in order to maximise the synergies between the two.

Focus will continue being on providing public goods that are needed for efficient growth such as rural infrastructure, basic research, and disease epedimic and pest control.

The role of the public sector will increasingly be confined to policy formulation, enforcement of legislation, regulation, and inspection, maintenance of the national strategic food reserves.

Agribusiness is being encouraged and promoted to strengthen linkages with small scale farmers through increased private sector participation in agriculture service delivery.

The ministry of agriculture will also ensure increasingly commercialisation and cost share some services it is currently providing.

The Government will continue partnering with the private sector and Non Governmental Organisations and cooperating partners to ensure attainment of food security for the majority household with at least 90 per cent of the population being food secured.

Original Source: The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
Original date published: 30 August 2010

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201008310071.html?viewall=1