President Hakainde Hichilema has called on farmers to increase their levels of productivity, by increasing hours of work, stating that doing so is key to achieving the country’s vision of producing 10 million tonnes of maize, 1 million tonnes of wheat, and 1 million tonnes of soybean.
The President has urged farmers to focus on increasing productivity, which is expected to lead to food security at household level, produce excess crop to sell to urban settings and also provide more exports to neighbouring countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the SeedCo national field day, President Hichilema emphasised that the country has the potential to become the food basket for the region, but can only be achieved if farmers adopt innovative and sustainable practices to boost productivity.
“There is no reason why with the technology available, connectivity, digital platforms, applications and the advancement in education, we should be producing less than 2 tonnes per hectare of maize.” The President said.
He also emphasized the importance of marketing and off taking, noting that government is working hard to ensure that farmers have access to markets, which includes export to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
President Hichilema, however, praised SeedCo for its efforts in promoting agriculture and food security, announcing that the government has approved a 24-hour economy to boost economic growth.
And President Hichilema further announced that fighting crime in agriculture is priority on his agenda.
“I am pushing legislation to have stiffer punishment for those who sell fake agricultural products and we will re-classify agriculture and livestock as economic assets. We will also try those who steal or sell fake products under the Economic and Financial Crimes Court,” he added.
The President explained that the government will ensure quick trials and stiffer penalties for those found guilty, urging farmers and stakeholders to work together, to reduce crime in agriculture.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Agriculture Felix Mutati, has indicated that SeedCo is a key driver of technology, innovation and research.
“It has created the capabilities for improved productivity and improved efficiency, while ensuring that we deliver seed that is climate resilient but is driven entirely by technology,” Mr Mutati said.
And, SeedCo Chairperson Chance Kabaghe highlighted the company’s commitment to advancing agriculture through research and innovation.
