Local think tank calls for extension services
AN economic policy think tank, the Policy Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC) has urged Government to provide technical support through improved extension services and equipping coope
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, PMRC head of monitoring and evaluation Salim Kaunda said the Agriculture sector was one of Zambia’s most important economic sectors hence the need to work on removing huddles hindering agricultural productivity.
“The sector supports the livelihood of approximately 70 percent of Zambians and contributes around 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“It is for this reason, we urge the Government to develop a standalone policy for the fisheries subsector. This policy will ensure that the unique challenges that the sector faces are addressed. The policy will also ensure that sectors economic potential is fully realised,” Mr Kaunda said.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO),the Agriculture sector is characterized by over one million small scale farmers and a significant majority of these of these farmers are located in the peri-urban and rural areas.
Data from CSO’s Living Conditions Monitoring Survey indicates that the average family size in Zambia is six and that if each of those one million farmers has a family six its means six million Zambians can directly benefit from a well managed agriculture sector.
He said if the more than one million farmers were adequately empowered, the agriculture sector has the potential in reducing poverty in the country.
Mr Kaunda however, stressed that the impact of Agriculture on reducing poverty have been undermined by the structure of the agriculture sector and challenges within the sector.
“These challenges include: Challenges with fully implementing the electronic voucher (E-voucher) system under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) which reached 790,623 of the beneficiaries out of the targeted one million farmers,” he said.
Mr Kaunda disclosed that there was underutilization of available agricultural land currently and that only 14 per cent of agricultural land is farmed.
He said to increase land under cultivation there was need resolve limited electronic infrastructure such as poor internet connectivity, limited financial platforms as well as low public investment in research and development (R&D) and technology.
ratives with skills to train farmers thus, improving productivity.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, PMRC head of monitoring and evaluation Salim Kaunda said the Agriculture sector was one of Zambia’s most important economic sectors hence the need to work on removing huddles hindering agricultural productivity.
“The sector supports the livelihood of approximately 70 percent of Zambians and contributes around 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“It is for this reason, we urge the Government to develop a standalone policy for the fisheries subsector. This policy will ensure that the unique challenges that the sector faces are addressed. The policy will also ensure that sectors economic potential is fully realised,” Mr Kaunda said.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO),the Agriculture sector is characterized by over one million small scale farmers and a significant majority of these of these farmers are located in the peri-urban and rural areas.
Data from CSO’s Living Conditions Monitoring Survey indicates that the average family size in Zambia is six and that if each of those one million farmers has a family six its means six million Zambians can directly benefit from a well managed agriculture sector.
He said if the more than one million farmers were adequately empowered, the agriculture sector has the potential in reducing poverty in the country.
Mr Kaunda however, stressed that the impact of Agriculture on reducing poverty have been undermined by the structure of the agriculture sector and challenges within the sector.
“These challenges include: Challenges with fully implementing the electronic voucher (E-voucher) system under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) which reached 790,623 of the beneficiaries out of the targeted one million farmers,” he said.
Mr Kaunda disclosed that there was underutilization of available agricultural land currently and that only 14 per cent of agricultural land is farmed.
He said to increase land under cultivation there was need resolve limited electronic infrastructure such as poor internet connectivity, limited financial platforms as well as low public investment in research and development (R&D) and technology.