GOVERNMENT MUST SPEED UP AND FINISH DELIVERING INPUTS TO FARMERS ON TIME
……the Rain season is here!
Lusaka, 29th October 2024.
The United Kwacha Alliance, UKA urges government to quickly and urgently complete the delivering of inputs to all farmers and ensure that the e-voucher system is working effectively for all contracted agro dealers as committed in the last ministerial statement
This will help revamp the agriculture sector, cushion the food deficit the country has experienced for the past 3 years, allow farmers to increase their households incomes and achieve 100% food security through robust agricultural production in this farming season.
At the heart of this agricultural devastation Zambia is currently facing is the persistent challenge of load shedding, which has crippled small-scale businesses across the country. Zesco’s erratic electricity supply has not only affected the productivity of Zambian industries, but it has also had a severe knock-on effect on agriculture.
In the rural areas especially for the small-scale farmers, this means reduced yields and for commercial farmers, days lost for irrigation and systems halted. When crops fail, it is not just the farmer who suffers, the consumer too feels the weight of scarcity of food which results into higher prices for our staple food
The last season was very humiliating and the erratic rainfall patterns driven by climate change and inadequate access and distribution of affordable inputs like fertilizer in areas where the Country experienced good rains further compounded the misery of farmers and consumers across the country.
Therefore, UKA Demands government to support farmers massively this farming season as the Country anticipates good rainfall as predicted by the meteorological department for this 2024/2025 farming season.
The United Kwacha Alliance once voted into power will prioritise food security through:
1. Empowering the Small scale farmers with mechanisation and irrigation systems for all the year round agriculture production.
2. Promote the integrated market access to inputs and output markets through value addition.
3. Invest in research development and training programs of key extension workers to implement government policies effectively.
4. UKA will seek to engage and work with international and local organizations and partners and governments to seek expertise on various mechanized and sustainable agriculture development programs.
5. UKA will also reconsider allocating more resources to urgently lower food prices for consumers.
UKA strongly believes that , In the end, the seeds sown today, with the right care and investment, can bear fruit tomorrow, helping to secure a brighter, more food-secure future for Zambia. The time to act is now.
Silavwe Jackson
Chairperson Commmuications
United Kwacha Alliance-UKA