By KETRA KALUNGA
GOVERNMENT should develop the agriculture sector through facilitating a well-defined agriculture value chain, the private sector has said. Private Sector Development Association (PSDA) chairperson, Yusuf Dodia, said the agriculture industry in the country was poorly managed because the value chain had not been well established.
Mr Dodia said in an interview that having a well set out agriculture value chain would help curb corruption in the sector. He said this would ultimately protect the Zambia farmer, consumer, ensure food security and at the same time allow farmers to cash in from exporting their produce on the regional market.
“The role of government is to give credence to farmers to produce farm produce then grain traders to buy grain and produce from farmers and warehouse it to ensure it doesn’t go bad, then distribute to different markets across the country. “The processors who are milling companies to mill the grain such as wheat, soyabeans and maize to add value and sell it to the Zambian consumers, this is the agriculture value chain,” he said.
Mr Dodia said a well-defined agriculture value chain would also seal all corruption loopholes either from members of the public, private sector or the government itself
Author
