Thu, 29 Dec 2016 12:43:46 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu’s decision to liberalise the maize floor price will undoubtedly motivate farmers to produce more knowing that their products will have ready-market with competitive prices, the Patriotic Front (PF) in Southern Province has said.
Provincial information and publicity vice secretary Trymore Mwenda told the Daily Nation yesterday that the party in the province welcomed the decision, saying such a move would not only provide value for farmers’ produce but also add immensely to the diversification of the economy.
Mr. Mwenda said the move would unlock the sector as more investment would be poured into agriculture since the country was endowed with a number of water bodies and arable land needed for the enhancement of the sector.
He said the benefits of liberalising the economy would not only be limited to farmers but the country as a whole as it would make Zambia the food basket for the region and improve food security in the country.
He noted that with such an initiative, massive investments in agriculture were expected which would lead to employment opportunities for the productive youths, saying previously, prospective investors were shunning the industry because returns had been lower than anticipated due to product price controls.
“This has been long overdue and the bold decision by the President to free the market in the agriculture sector is highly commendable as it will spur growth in the sector. Southern Province is one of the greenbelts of Zambia and we support this decision because it has come at the right time when the President is also calling for the diversification of the economy from copper dependence to agriculture.
“This will undoubtedly unlock the sector as more investments will be poured into agriculture and enhance the agro-processing industries and assist in job creation for the youths as more opportunities will be created at all levels of production unlike the previous situation where investors were shunning this lucrative sector because returns were not better than their investments,” Mr. Mwenda said.
He said liberalising the price would enable small-scale farmers to grow and become commercial farmers due to massive returns.
“Zambia will again be a true grain basket of the region as we will have enough to export. Zambia is endowed with the highest number of water bodies in the region apart from having plenty of arable land which in some cases lay idle for a long time. These untapped resources would be put to good use by a liberalised agriculture sector where farmers determine their prices, thereby contributing to the economy of the country.
“What is also important is that small-scale farmers can jump on this occasion and be able to grow and become commercial farmers via the government-sponsored Farming Input Support Programme (FISP),” he said.
