By Jeff Kapembwa
President Hakainde Hichilema wants Zambia to be the continent’s preferred production and export hub for various high value added agricultural products and commodities while making the country food secure and reverse economic losses incurred in recent years using technological innovation and its geopolitical location.
Reeling from the COVID 19, climate change, high debt portfolio and other headwinds that last year decimated the economy to less than 3% of Gross Domestic Product, low from 4.9% in 2020, another 4.0% in 2018 and 1.9% in 2019, President Hichilema foresees Zambia’s growth quadrupling driven by agriculture to upscale production in all sector spheres.
The President while gracing this year’s just ended Agriculture and commercial show in Lusaka held from July 27 to August and themed: “Innovation through Technology, Technology transforms businesses” noted the speedy migrated to weather early warning surveillance, high crop production, breeding stocks, diagnosis, trade facilitation and delivery of extension among others, to sustain the agriculture business.
“We are ready to go as a country and become the continent’s major producer, processor of various value added products to meet the domestic, regional and continental markets, looking at the progression in migration to digital platforms in pest and disease as well as weather surveillance, diagnosis, delivery of extension services and all this is e-extension (ICT).
The innovation and technology, if maximised would help improve food yield for farmers and improve the livelihood of the people and further reverse all economic losses incurred in the past decade spurred by COVID 19. Climatic change and geopolitical crisis including the Russia-Ukraine conflicts that triggered a jump in global food prices and ensure Zambia export while being food self sustained.
And Zambia’s Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri says the Government is offering monetary and technological incentives to farmers and is providing a market for various crops and other commodities to reduced post harvest losses. It is further seeking encouraging commercial banks avail low cost credit to farmers to encourage productivity.
“We have agreed with the farmers to provide ready markets for all their produce while ensuring that commercial banks and other financial providers can offer credit at low rate especially with the reduction in inflation and interest rates,”
The Food and Agriculture Organisation with partners had in April this year in Malabo and spearheading conservation agriculture called representatives from 50 African countries to brainstorm on how to fight hunger and maximize food production while using digital tools ensure greater efficiency along agrifood chains using the private sector and national policies.
A staggering 281 million people in Africa lack sufficient food for daily needs. Nearly three-quarters of the continent’s 1.4 billion population cannot afford nutritious food, and drought threatens lives and livelihoods in the Horn of Africa amid effects of COVID-19 pandemic, FAO estimates.
