By JUDITH NAMUTOWE? –
THE Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) has said Government’s move to allocate more funds to the agricultural sector will lead to increased expansion and improve the country’s food security.
Prior to the 2015 National Budget, ZACA executive secretary Samuel Simutunda implored the Government to allocate more resources to the agricultural sector with the view of improving food security.
Mr Simutunda said the agricultural sector was one sector that could propel national growth through job creation.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda last week said Government had continued its vision to expand the agricultural sector.
Government’s strategic focus was to achieve food security, increase productivity and value addition.
In attaining this, Government had allocated about K2 billion to the sector.
During the 2013/2014 farming season, the country recorded a harvest of 3.35 million tonnes of maize, the highest ever achieved.
Following the bumper harvest achieved in the 2013/14 farming season, Government allocated a further K1.1 billion to the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), while in the 2014 Budget K500million was the allocation.
The funds for FISP were aimed at facilitating the provision of affordable crop and livestock inputs for small-scale farmers.?The Government had also set aside K164.5 million for irrigation purposes.
“The stated areas are among the few areas of focus in the agricultural sector that Government is looking at in the coming year,” Mr Simutunda said.
Mr Simutunda said his organisation was particularly happy that the Government had apportioned funds towards boosting the irrigation sector.
He said Government’s move to allocate more funds to the sector would also empower the farmers with modern tools and increase the number of extension officers.
Mr Simutunda said apart from just earning money from the sector, the farmers would also contribute to food supply.