The Farm Block Bill
By Dickson Jere
The Zambian government has announced its intention to pass
a new law in Parliament, which will establish an agency to spearhead the development of farming block across the country.
The “Farm Block Development Agency (FBAB)” Bill has been approved by Cabinet in principle and will target about ten (10) farming blocks in Zambia to facilitate enhanced access to agricultural mechanization.
“It is envisaged that establishing the Farm Block Development Agency for the irrigation programme, will ensure o efficient coordination of all the farm blocks, mechanization and irrigation projects in the country,” the statement by Cabinet reads.
The idea is to have a sustained project of irrigation of maize crops and therefore contribute to the targeted three (3) million metric tonnes of irrigated maize for food security and reducing dependency on rai-fed agriculture.
Government said the FBDA will target 696 centres across the country by the year 2031 and the agency will also coordinate the implementation of irrigation programmes on over 500,000 hectares of land into crop production centres.
This Bill is welcomed and should be supported by progressive voices. If I was in Parliament as MP, I would support this Bill but with additional pointers as follows;
1. While the establishment of the FBDA is welcome, there is need to also under that the slow progress in development of farm blocks has been the lack of basic infrastructure. This agency should go beyond irrigation but also spearhead infrastructure development such as roads, sanitation and electricity supply to these areas. Most people who have been allocated land on these farming blocks cannot access them due to lack of roads.
2. The FBDA should also be tasked to source for support and finance to build facilities such as schools, hospitals and other social amenities near the farming blocks to support the settlers.
3. The FBDA must work with the financial institutions in Zambia and abroad to source for cheaper money to lend to farmers that will be settled in most of the farming blocks. The cost of borrowing for small scale farmers in Zambia is very expensive.
With the above points in mind, I support this initiative. It is long overdue and if well implemented, it can help stir farming activities in the various farming blocks. So, the irrigation aspect should not be the focus of the FBDA but rather be on the entire infrastructure development of the farms.
The farm block bill is very much welcome.Truly there must be a legislative direction towards these farm block management.Bo Dickson Jere, the three points you have raised are very important and very valid.Some of these resettlements have no clear passages yet which makes those that have been settled to find some difficulties in movements.It is the reason I am asking the resettlement office to understand the challenges the settlers are facing.It is not good for the resettlement office to consider repossessions of some lands already given to some people when the road network is not good.Some former civil servants who were offered land and are still waiting for money to be paid to them may find it difficult to quickly develop their farms.It requires some good money to start.The land may be grabbed and be given to others who may also fail due to funds.For now I ask the government to at least make some roads in these farmlands and probably ask the network providers for communication to install towers for communication and quick finance transfers to facilitate transactions between the owners of land and caretakers, builders and other farm workers.The Vice President’s office must help in this situation.You find the one settled is a University lecturer but not yet given his gratuity and land grabbed from him , that can be very unfair surely.The title deeds money is not a small amount and the retired officers have families and school going children.”Boma I yanganepo apo” Nyanja meaning the government must consider this plight.I believe everyone is very willing to develop their lands.The government must be flexible and allow enough time before repossessions are effected.This is a sincere request to our understanding government.