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(LUSAKATIMES) President Wa Mutharika to officiate the 84th Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show

President Wa Mutharika to officiate the 84th Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show
Friday, July 30, 2010, 10:04

Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika arrived in the country yesterday for a three-day official visit.He was received on arrival at the airport by Republican President Rupiah Banda, several ministers, senior government and defence officials and Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) party cadres.
The Malawian President was treated to a 21- gun salute by the Zambia Army and a guard of honour.

President Wa Mutharika is in the country to officially open the 84th Agriculture and Commercial show today.

Meanwhile President Rupiah Banda has said Zambia’s bumper maize harvest will guarantee food security for the citizens and more income for small scale farmers.

Meanwhile President Rupiah Banda has said Zambia’s bumper maize harvest will guarantee food security for the citizens and more income for small scale farmers.

Mr Banda said in Lusaka yesterday the country was focusing on investing in agriculture and the abundant maize produced this year would help strengthen the country’s food security.

He said the subject of food security had captured the attention of the international community in the past few years because more than one million people were going hungry every year, according to Food and Agriculture Organisation statistics.

The president said this at Hotel Inter-Continental in Lusaka during a State Banquet held in honour of the visiting leader of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika.

Former Zambian presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Frederick Chiluba, Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, Cabinet and deputy ministers from Malawi and Zambia, diplomats accredited to Zambia, and Government officials were among those who attended the banquet.

Mr Banda said year’s Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show was happening in special circumstances as the country and the peasant farming community were reaping another bumper harvest of the staple crop.

He said Zambians should feel that their efforts in increasing food production would in the long run begin to have a major impact on fighting poverty and hunger, and that small-holder farmers would be food-secure, apart from increasing their incomes.

Mr Banda said Zambia was taking a leaf from the Malawi’s success in agricultural development.

He hailed the cordial relations between Zambia and Malawi and the growing fruitful cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Banda said historically, the friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries had been solid because their relationship was founded on a common cultural and ethnic heritage which brought the citizens of the two countries together.

Zambia valued Professor Wa Mutharika’s acceptance to officiate at the 84th Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka, whose theme is ‘Sustainable Development’.

He described the show as an important annual event that provided a platform to showcase Zambia’s products and afforded an equal opportunity to foreign participating firms to promote their products on the Zambian market.

Mr Banda said he was pleased to note that a good number of Malawian companies were participating in this year’s show.

He said the attendance of some Malawian enterprises would foster trade relations between the two countries, which had been low despite the existing warm political ties.

He also commended Prof Wa Mutharika for showing commitment and exemplary leadership in steering the African Union (AU)’s vision as the current chairperson.

President Banda is today scheduled to hold official talks with his counterpart at State House.

The two leaders are expected to tour selected stands tomorrow morning before Prof Wa Mutharika officially opens the show in the afternoon.

Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, MAIZE, RUPIAH BANDA, ZAMBIA AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCIAL SHOW

posted by MrK @ 5:56 AM