Zambians encouraged to venture into agriculture

LUSAKA — In Nyimba district in eastern Zambia, 60-year-old Maxwell Zulu is a happy man after successfully planting maize and groundnuts on his farm.

Zulu, who had stopped farming following a sharp rise in the price of fertilizer, decided to start farming again after the price of fertilizer dropped and the government made a good offer to purchase maize.

"Farming is the way to go now," Zulu said, expressing his belief that if the rainy season does not disappoint, he will have a good harvest, which will go a long way in improving his standard of living.

Zulu is among smallholder farmers in Zambia who have heeded President Hakainde Hichilema's call for people to venture into agriculture to improve food security and take advantage of not only the government's good policies, but also the huge market in the southern African nation.

Several people have posted photos on various social media platforms of their farms planting different crops.

Elisha Matambo, minister of Copperbelt Province who posted a picture of himself in his maize field, encouraged people in the province to look for land and venture into farming in line with government policy and the president's vision.

"They will never be disappointed. We have been farming for more than 15 years, and we have seen the benefits of farming," he said in a post on his Facebook page.

Matambo said Zambia is blessed with good rain, soil and weather. Venturing into agriculture will be a game-changer for many families.

'Lucrative business'

Recently, Hichilema encouraged citizens, especially women and young people, to venture into agriculture as it has become a "lucrative business".

"We are extremely happy to note that several of you, our citizens, have this farming season ventured into maize production. As the government, we are extremely impressed because there is no other way out of the food crisis apart from more production," Hichilema said in a post on his Facebook page.

While acknowledging the challenges in the agricultural sector, Hichilema is optimistic that nothing would stop the country from realizing its dream of becoming a "food basket "not only in the southern African region, but also in Africa as a whole.

Xinhua