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(DAILY MAIL ZM) Rural development key to poverty reduction

Rural development key to poverty reduction
June 5, 2012 | Filed under: Business | Posted by: web editor
By NANCY MWAPE

THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has called on Government to prioritise rural development to tackle poverty and create employment.

JCTR has also urged the private sector such as banks to consider investing more in rural areas to provide affordable financial products to farmers and other key players in rural development.

JCTR social conditions programme officer Sosten Banda said Government should accelerate and intensify its development efforts through targeted, clear and consistent policies that ensure sustained rural development.

In a statement, Mr Banda said the JCTR rural basket, which has been in use for the last four years, continues to show that rural development is being held back by widespread poverty.

“It is imperative that Government develops targeted, consistent and clear policy frameworks that allow the rural poor realise economic opportunities that empower them to leap out of poverty in a more sustainable and coordinated manner,” he said.

Mr Banda said the 2012 JCTR first quarter rural basket findings indicate serious failure by most households to meet minimum nutritional requirements, with the average energy in-take for most households being about 1, 000 kilocalories below the recommended World Health Organisation’s 2, 400 kilocalorie daily threshold for a rural population.

According to national statistics, about 77.9 percent of households are living in extreme poverty and still remain dependent on agriculture as their main source of livelihood.

He said despite the bumper harvest in most of the surveyed areas, household food insecurity is considerably high with many selling almost all their agricultural produce at once to meet other basic needs.

Mr Banda said lack of access to all-weather roads, which is a pre-requisite for rural development, has compromised household food security situation in rural areas.
He said despite the impressive economic performance, rural development such as access to roads and unemployment remain a challenge.

Mr Banda said the public private partnerships initiative should be strengthened at all levels with a clear focus on improving economic opportunities for the poor, addressing factors furthering poverty and household food insecurity.

“It is only when economic growth ensures sustainable development for all that the majority of Zambians will benefit from the country’s current strong economic performance,” he said.

Mr Banda said about 60 percent of households fail to meet the cost of essential non-food items like bathing soap and lotion while access to financial services is a challenge with limited accessibility to banks, financial institutions or products that meet the needs of these rural people.

Labels: JCTR, POVERTY, RURAL AREAS

posted by MrK @ 2:46 AM