BARRICK Lumwana’s projection that Solwezi and Kalumbila districts of North-Western Province will soon attain self-sufficiency in food production and help deliver benefits to local economies is music to the ears.
Considering the fact that the right to food is a basic human right for all, it should be the determination of every right-thinking citizen and resident of this country to see to it that there is enough food for every Zambian.
It has always been the wish of all governments to ensure that relative food security in all Zambian districts is achieved. This has been demonstrated by the availing of land and degazetting of a number of forest reserves to allow citizens to embark on small-scale farming that would help curb food shortages.
In the recent past, the calls for more Zambian citizens to venture into small-scale farming, start growing their own food and raise funds to support other demanding basic needs like shelter, have been fruitful as more people are heeding to the calls by going back to rekindle their long-lost relationship with the career of agriculture.
Although that has been the case, many people interested in dipping their feet into farming have neither previous agricultural background nor any training in small-scale farming.
According to the mining company’s sustainability manager Brenda Tambatamba, Lumwana Mine is dealing with this shortcoming as it is determined to help smallholder farmers boost their knowledge and commercialise their activities by engaging various stakeholders.
It is without doubt that interventions such as training of local farmers in agri-food innovation programmes in food safety and quality assurance are not only a priority for the empowerment of farmers, but will also help them broaden the food base for other neighbouring districts in Solwezi and Kalumbila, and of course the country as a whole.
In addition to enhancing their knowledge through training on how to determine what type of farming techniques would make a better contribution to food security, small-scale farmers would learn how to commercialise their efforts and get to know the benefits of diversification.
The local people of Solwezi and Kalumbila who have in the past mostly grown maize, cassava and other traditional crops like sorghum, millet and root crops have only been focusing on their households.
Lumwana Mine’s efforts would obviously encourage the local people to look beyond their households by growing enough and different types of produce.
With backing from all stakeholders, Lumwana Mine should also provide an elaborate marketing structure for these farmers so that they may be able to sell their produce once they go commercial considering that they have been confined to the subsistence sector for most of their agricultural lives.
When farmers get exposed to such initiatives, whether at small-scale or large-scale level, there is usually a guarantee that results from these trainings would greatly contribute to food security, economic development, the well-being and survival of the local people. Assurance on the potential of attaining local self-sufficiency of food production also becomes feasible.