By KETRA KALUNGA
Government should introduce necessary incentives for small-scale farmers to enable them increase production of value crops and grow the country’s agriculture sector, a farmer union has advised.
Small Scale Farmers For Development Agency (SAFADA) said empowering emerging farmers with incentives would lead to increased investment in the agriculture sector which would alternately lead to economic growth.
SAFADA executive director, Boyd Moobwe, said in an interview that investing in small-scale farmers was cardinal in achieving the much-needed diversification in agriculture.
Mr Moolwe cited the cotton outgrower scheme between Government and small-scale farmers in Central province to supply cotton to Mulungushi textiles as an incentives that would help farmers grow value crops.
“Cotton is a value crop that help farmers rise better income and invest more in farming and this is part of diversification,” he said.
He said the Zambia-China Mulungushi Textiles cotton outgrower scheme would go a long way in hastening the farmers’ ability to grow cotton which was one of the value crops.
Mr Moolwe commended Government for creating a ready and stable market for farmers through the cotton outgrower scheme.
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