JIHAI Agricultural Company from China located at the Lusaka East Multi-Facility Economic Zone is producing mushrooms which are enjoying massive local and regional demand. Above, workers package the mushroom recently. The daily production for the product is 13 tonnes.?Picture by KENNEDY MUPESENI.

By KENNEDY  MUPESENI –
THE Government has called for commercialisation of traditional food in the country to cope with the current demand on the local and international markets.
Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Greyford Monde said there was need to promote traditional products, looking at the demand.
“There is need for more emphasis on commercialising traditional food such as cassava, millet and other produce like other countries are doing because some of the foods we neglect are fetching high in other countries,” Mr Monde said.
He said he recently attended a forum in the United States of America (USA) where he witnessed roasted cassava and cassava chips being sold “like hot cake.”
Mr Monde said when he opened the two-day Food and Drinks Expo (FODEX) 2015 in Lusaka at the weekend that Government’s vision was to promote the development of an efficient, competitive and sustainable agricultural sector which assures food security and increased income.
“This vision is supported by a comprehensive national agriculture policy and the major thrusts of the national agricultural policy are; increased agricultural production, sector liberalisation,?commercialisation, promotion of public and private sector partnerships,” he said.
Under the vision, the country strives to contribute to the overall goal of poverty reduction, income generation and economic growth.
Given Zambia’s vast natural resource endowment,
Mr Monde said value addition for agricultural products should be promoted in light of Zambia’s comparative advantage in the region.
He said agri-business should be encouraged to strengthen linkages with farmers through increased private sector participation in agricultural service delivery.