•Central Province Permanent Secretary Edwidge Mutale touring the stands during the agricultural show in Mukonchi area of Kapiri Mposhi District recently. Pictures by Sylvia Mweetwa.

By SYLVIA MWEETWA –

SMALL-scale farmers are the cornerstone of Zambia’s national food security but they have received little or no serious attention from policy makers.
The farmers have for a long time complained about inadequate market for their produce, hence going to waste and posing a challenge to the environment.
Look at the amount of fruits, tomatoes and maize that go to waste every farming season, this should really be a concern to stakeholders in the sector.
A farmer exhibiting at the show Ms Mary Bwembya said women have remained to be major contributors to the food basket of the country which have not been recognised by government.
Ms Bwembya said there was need for the government and those tasked with  responsibilities of take keen interest in the needs of the women in agriculture in challenges faced by most female farmers who are most times  disadvantaged when accessing inputs.
Another exhibitor Catherine Ngimu said there was need to extend the support to rural women  unlike the current scenario where the concentration was only in urban town adding that most rural women were hard working.
Ms Ngimu a widow and a mother of eight, however, said she recently benefited from the cattle restocking  programme after joining a cooperative but appealed to the government for the setting up of a dip tanks to combat  livestock diseases.
“While our men most times spend time drinking and in some cases just show up when it’s time to sell crops or  cattle, as women we suffer in silence because most times when seed has been given the men are in most cases the ones in the forefront, ” she said.
Agricultural and commercial show organising chairperson Sunny Mugande said he was happy with farmers who participated in the show and reaffirmed farmers’ commitment to contribute to the agricultural sector.
Mr Mugande said the small-scale farmer has continued to be a major contributor to the food basket of the country  considering increased production of maize, groundnuts and sorghum.
He, however, asked the government to seriously consider distributing the farming inputs to farmers on time and rehabilitating the roads to ease movement of the produce.
“As farmers as we are ready to do our part by contributing to the country’s food basket which is the reason why we want our government to do their part by ensuring that the framing input are delivered on time so as to allow  proper planning, “he said.
He assured of the farmers’ commitment to engaging in conservation agriculture which in turn would increase  production and assist in addressing the unstable agricultural activities among small-scale farmers.
However, officiating at the 20th Kapiri Mposhi District Agricultural and Commercial Show in Mukonchi area, Central Province Permanent Secretary Edwidge Mutale said the government would continue to support the small-scale farmers, especially women in the country as a means of growing the economy.
Ms Mutale said Government would continue to prioritise agriculture which has the potential to create wealth and reduce poverty.
This year’s theme “2014 breaking new ground and commemorating 50 years of Zambia’s Independence.”
She paid tribute to small-scale farmers for their continued involvement in agricultural activities and contributing to the country’s food basket.
“I want to commend you for your hard work because you are major stakeholders in realising a dream of poverty-free Zambia which is key to any developing country as government will continue to support such activities, “ she said.
The permanent secretary said the theme of breaking new ground should also look at establishing the cottage industries to add value to the raw materials adding that government has realised that the dependence on mono crop has not lead to sustainability in food security.
She said government would continue with the promotion of crop and enterprise diversification into non-traditional enterprise and traditional tubers, livestock, fish farming and honey production to ensure food security at household level.
Ms Mutale said in 2014-2015 Kapiri have been allocated 25,765 maize seed bags and 1,600 sacks for groundnut which would enable farmers plan for the farming season.
She commended the organisers of the show saying agriculture was an important in the country’s calendar because it brings farmers, agro processors, lending institutions, input suppliers and other stakeholders together.
“In the spirit of breaking new ground, we should also look at establishing cottage industries to add value to the raw products.
I wonder where all the sweet potatoes will go as we have even lost the traditional way of preserving them. Where I come from, we would have made insemwa,”she said.
She advised the farmers to use the show to share ideas on new ways of farming methods considering the changes in climatic conditions.
Since the government has realised that dependence on mono crop has not led to sustainability in food security, Mr Mugande said most farmers have promised the promotion of crop and enterprise diversification into non-traditional enterprises like traditional crops.
Clearly, through the endurance and hard work of small-scale farmers the country would continue to estimate and record the bumper harvest and contribute to the food security of the nation.