We are now food secure, enough to export to other countries – Hichilema
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia is now food secure and has enough food to export to other countries.
This comes after one of the worst droughts in the country’s history, which engulfed Zambia in early 2024 and led President Hichilema to declare a national emergency on February 29 last year.
Speaking during the Kulamba Traditional Ceremony in Katete yesterday, President Hichilema said he wanted the country to continue doing efficient agriculture that takes into account the negative effects of climate change.
He commended farmers for remaining resilient and producing a bumper harvest this year, even after a difficult farming season.
“We are now food secure. Agriculture is very important. We celebrate our farmers for working hard to feed our country.”
“We now are food secure and we have excess for export into our neighbouring countries. And we want to continue doing that. We want to continue doing our agriculture with efficiently higher yields productivity but also taking account of negative climate damaging activities,” he said.
He explained that farmers needed to embrace irrigation and water harvesting mechanisms to cushion the country against droughts.
“We want irrigation agriculture through water harvesting technology mechanisation to take root in our country, such that drought or no drought, we should have food for our people.”
“I want to indicate that we are conscious of climate change and we will work together to mitigate negative effects of climate change,” assured the President.
He urged citizens to stop harmful practices such as bush burning, warning that such activities damage the ozone layer and in turn affects the rainfall pattern.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, August 31, 2025