Agriculture has potential to grow economy, says Mpulungu DC

Agriculture has potential to grow economy, says Mpulungu DC
By Emmanuel Kapampa in Mpulungu
Tue 11 May 2010, 03:20 CAT

MPULUNGU district commissioner Willie Simfukwe says the agriculture sector has the potential to grow the economy and raise the standards of living for thousands of people, when seriously ventured into.

Addressing hundreds of farmers during a field day held at Kasimango agriculture camp in Mpulungu on Friday, Simfukwe said countries like Malawi and Tanzania were doing well in agriculture and there was need for Zambia to turn to the sector for economic emancipation.

‘’Mostly here in Mpulungu, our people have always depended on the lake as a major source of living but every day we are hearing stories of depleting fish stock in Lake Tanganyika. So this is the time to diversify, move away from fishing and go into crop production,’’ he told the farmers.

He assured that the government would provide an enabling environment for people who wanted to venture into the growing of crops as a business and source of income.

Simfukwe said the onus was on the farmers to work hard and grow enough crops to ensure household food security in the nation.

‘’ As we are seeing, this area is now opening up meaning that there will be a lot of activity in trade, agriculture and tourism. My appeal to you is grow enough crops and sell to Kasama, Mbala, Mpulungu and Kasaba bay and raise money to improve your lives,’’ he said.

And district agriculture coordinator Boniface Mwalongo advised the farmers to make use of natural fertilisers, saying that industrial fertilisers and other agriculture inputs were not always enough to benefit all the farmers.

He noted that farmers must also be visionary and exercise thrift spending after selling their maize to FRA this marketing season.

He advised them to save some money to spend on farming inputs in the next farming season to allow for continuity.