CURRENT STATE OF ZAMBIA’S AGRICULTURE SECTOR A DISASTER – DR M’MEMBE

CURRENT STATE OF ZAMBIA’S AGRICULTURE SECTOR A DISASTER – DR M’MEMBE

….says the sector needs a major boost in terms of production

Lusaka… Friday, August 30, 2024

Socialist Party (SP) President Dr Fred M’membe has described the current state of Zambia’s agriculture sector as a disaster.

Speaking during a discussion with his General Secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali on the party’s vision for agriculture and food sovereignty, Dr M’membe said the sector needs a boost in terms of production.

He said this calls for more investment in research for farmers to know the right soils.

He said agriculture is difficult and needs serious interests, financing and highest attention from the political leadership.

Dr M’membe said the country needs strong universities and research institutes that deals with Agriculture.

“…good colleges for Agriculture.  We need research institutes, it is not just chipante pante. And we are being left behind into 18 century agriculture. We need to get our best people into Agriculture and not middlemen no,” he said.

The Socialist Party President has also expressed concern over the increasing poverty levels in Zambia.

“In the census done in 2022, poverty levels moved from 54 % to 60 %….Average rural poverty moved 78.8%..Urban poverty moved from 23.4%  to 31.9 %.  Where there is poverty, there is hunger. We are in the same category with Yemen Chad and others……Without tackling poverty, and addressing the issue of Hunger, we are going nowhere.  2.9% population growth rate, our population is now doubling every after 15 years. And young people eat a lot. Now Muchinga has poverty levels of over 82%,…….. Northern 78%, Luapula with 77.3%, Lusaka 27%. CB 35.8%,” he said.

He said 65% of the population is employed in Agriculture yet the sector is contributing a paltry 3% to Zambia’s GDP.

Dr M’membe said this is an indication of poverty that exists especially in rural areas.

He said for this poverty to reduce, there is need to increase the farmers contribution to the GDP, a feat which he says requires drastic measures and a serious commitment.

“If the poor are spending their income on food, it means they are working for food. Everyday you are hand to mouth, whatever you have worked for sometimes is not even enough. There is no dignity in hunger. The production side of Agriculture has to be managed. It is not enough to give a peasant farmer seed and then tell them that go and produce. It is not about the market, it is about production,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr M’membe said the country is in a crisis when it comes to Fish Farming.

“An increasing number of our people are becoming more reliant on Chicken, Kapenta has become more expensive for most people. People are turning to Chicken. There was a time we were heavily dependnentant on Fish for proteins, 75% of the people were relying on Fish protein. Today that is becoming increasingly  difficult.

“Our stock of Fish is gone, we are only getting 25%. We are importing Fish Tilapia. But that Fish is a dangerous species of Fish. That Fish is tough, hard and destroying our indigenous Fish species. Although Government talks about Fish Farming, when you get into fish Farming, there is nothing you get out of it. We are in a crisis, there is no Fish Farming that we can talk about,” Dr M’membe said.

He said Zambia should emulate countries like Thailand where Universities have taken the lead in matters to do with Fish Farming and production.

Dr M’membe said the current situation where top Universities have nothing to do with Fish Farming is sad.

“We have not invested anything and we think just digging a hole and pouring water there, and throwing some fingerings and say you have become a fish farmer. The success stories are very few,  and our production costs are very high.

“You can’t compete with imported Fish. And we are not paying attention to the indigenous species. We are not investing. Our leading universities have got nothing to do with Fish Farming. NRDC has got a department dealing with that, but very backward. We are talking big but there is nothing we are doing. Yes, companies are doing well in cage Fish Farming, but very little beyond that.”