By ANDREW MUKOMA
THE UPND government’s policy on agriculture will placing farmers at the centre for them to derive maximum benefits, UPND Katombora Member of Parliament (MP) Clement Andeleki has said
Mr Andeleki said the pronouncements which President Hakainde Hichilema made during the opening of the first session of the 13th national assembly have come as a relief to the farmers in his constituency and the country in general.
He said that in the case of Kazungula, farmers depended more on agriculture and livestock but with the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease, their livelihood had been threatened.
Mr Andeleki therefore said that the Presidential pronouncement on the need to strengthen the surveillance of livestock diseases and diversification in farming would address the challenges farmers had been grappling with.
He told the Daily Nation that Kazungula district share the boundaries with Mwandi, Mulobezi, Zimba, Kalomo and Itezhi tezhi, making it more vulnerable to the transmission of livestock diseases if movements were not curtailed.
“In my constituency, people depend on agriculture and livestock and it is like the President was taking to my people in constituency because those are issue that are around.
“Issues of dams and dip-tanks are a challenge. That is why this government is emphasizing on diversifying. It is important that the President is encouraging farmers to diversify and start keeping animals rather than depending on maize growing,” Mr Andeleki said.
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