Without drought we were going to have the largest yield of crop, Hichilema

By Thomas Ngala

WITHOUT drought this year, we were going to have the largest yield of crop, claims President Hakainde Hichilema.

Addressing the Italian International Cooperation delegation at State House yesterday, he said farmers responded to the government’s appeal to plant more.

“Drought has taught us a lesson. Without drought this year we were going to have the largest yield of crop. Our farmers responded to our appeal to plant more. But the drought came which has caused food insecurity, which has caused number two energy insecurity. So we are looking at diversifying our energy mix as well as a strategic issue now because this climate change now is a national threat to many countries, including ourselves. So… we would like to deepen what we do together,” he said.

President Hichilema applauded Italy for pledging to inject US $320 million in the Lobito Corridor project.

“The Lobito corridor, your pledge of US $320 million is really appreciated. Because you, the three countries, we have Angola, Congo DR, Zambia are very deeply engraved in the Lobito corridor. That corridor will now create a connectivity in Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean because we will be able to connect our own rail line in this country, Copperbelt to Southern Province, but also connecting TAZARA rail line on to Dar es Salam,” he said. “Along it, it’s agriculture. Clearly, we want to make this corridor or these corridors economically reliable and strong. We can’t just apply the economic model around minerals. We have to apply the model around agriculture for input supply, for moving of outputs, for processing, for trade. In the economy here, in the region, in the continent and beyond. So we really would like to do a bit more with yourselves around this issue.”

He said Italy and Zambia have a long standing relationship.

“We got independence in 1964. Italy and Zambia started working together at that early stage. Many projects, the younger people may not know, that a lot of engineering projects in this country were done under the cooperation of Italy and Zambia. A number of bridges, a number of industries. If I am not mistaken, Indeni should be one of those. And to be honest again, in agriculture, in water, Italy and Zambia have been working together for many years. So that is the reason you should feel warm to be here. The other reason is that leaders of Zambia, the leaders of Italy, all the years, they have continued deepening our relationship and we as the leaders today are extremely happy to even do more together with yourselves,” said President Hichilema. “This is for many reasons timely, Italy’s own decision to work with Africa so that Africa is not left behind is really encouraging to us. And for us as a country, we wouldn’t have been happy if we were left out of that package of your initiatives…”