ZNFU challenges Levy

ZNFU challenges Levy
By Joan Chirwa
Tuesday September 11, 2007 [14:00]

ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has asked President Levy Mwanawasa to ensure Zambia produces more food than Malawi before he steps down in 2011. And the farmers union has expressed concern at the increase in prices of seed on the local market, saying most farmers would now resort to planting recycled seeds.

ZNFU board director Jervis Zimba noted that Zambia had the potential to produce millions of tonnes of maize and other agricultural commodities than the neighbouring Malawi as a result of the country’s vast natural resources.

“My humble appeal to President Mwanawasa and Minister of Agriculture Ben Kapita is that let Zambia produce as much as it can before 2011. We need to see Zambia producing around five million tonnes of maize by 2011 before President Mwanawasa retires.

I know this can happen because the president has a passion for agriculture,” said Zimba during a farmer’s association annual general meeting in Kapiri Mposhi last week. “Malawi is a small country compared to Zambia but it has managed to produce three million tonnes of maize in the last farming season when our country is talking of around 1.3 million to 1.5 million tonnes of maize. We cannot be beaten by Malawi in terms of food production because I know that we are capable of doing better.”

Zimba said would never produce agricultural products to a competitive level if the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, fails to get several farmers out of poverty.

“This country used to produce millions of tonnes of maize some years ago, but that is not happening. Agriculture at some point had collapsed but the current government has chosen to revive it, which is good,” Zimba said.

“What I can say is that agriculture is still in its infancy stage in this country, but I believe that government can help by getting back the old farmers who used to be supported by CUSA and Lima Bank back into the mainstream agriculture production. If this is not done, then I can assure you that no matter how much we try, we will never get to the level we reached year ago in terms of food production. Some of these farmers have become so poor that they can’t even afford a bicycle when they used to own vehicles, tractors and other farm equipment.”

Zimba gave an example of Malawi which three years ago had been importing around 40 per cent of maize for local consumption, but now depends on its own production.

“Unless government comes up with a deliberate policy to promote small scale farmers, we will never compete at a regional level in terms of food production,” Zimba said. “We had a lot of farming blocks in this country but these have been turned into farming blocks. I believe government is also concerned with the situation many of our farmers in the country have found themselves in.”

Agriculture minister Ben Kapita upon his appointment last year promised to work towards revamping the agriculture sector and turn Zambia into the region’s food security.

Government this year allocated 8.8 per cent of this year’s K12 trillion budget towards the agriculture industry, up from 5.7 per cent given in the K10 trillion 2006 budget. And Zimba noted that the increase in prices of seed would negatively affect production in the next season.

He called on the government to consider removing duty on imported farming inputs in order to promote the industry.

“It is very sad news to hear that the price of seed has been increased. I am told prices of fertiliser will also go up,” Zimba said. “I only hope the government will take this into consideration and ensure something is done to reduce the cost of production in the industry. Looking at what is obtaining, I don’t expect prices of maize to remain at K38,000 per 50 kilogramme bag next year. Farmers need to get a fair return on their investments.”

Dealers of seed have increased prices of the commodity from around K60,000 to over K90,000 per 10 kilogramme bag of maize seed.