•ZAMBIA’S Ambassador to Turkey Miriam Mulenga with that country’s Agriculture Minister Mehmet Mehdi when she paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Ankara. Picture Courtesy of the Zambian Embassy.

By JAMES KUNDA –

TURKISH Minister of Agriculture Mehmet Mehdi Eker, has expressed his country’s readiness to assist Zambia develop her agricultural base to become the bread basket of the sub-region.

Mr Eker has since called for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be entered into by the two countries under which areas and terms of cooperation would be spelt out to help Zambia increase and improve agricultural productivity.

The minister also stressed the need for his country and Zambia to establish a Joint Economic Commission in order to enhance economic cooperation between the two nations.

These pronouncements were made when Zambia’s Ambassador to Turkey Miriam Mulenga, paid a courtesy call on Mr Eker at his office in Ankara on Wednesday.

This is contained in a statement made available by Deputy head of Mission at the Zambian embassy in Ankara, Bwalya Nondo.

Mr Eker said it was the desire of Turkey to assist Zambia realise her full potential in the agricultural sector, given the country’s potential to be the bread basket of the sub-region.

He pledged necessary support to stimulate increased crop output.

And Ms Mulenga pointed out that Zambia was well endowed with necessary natural resources including water, to support investment in the agricultural sector.

She said the Government had prioritised agriculture as a key economic sector and put in place measures to enhance performance of the industry to contribute significantly to economic development.

Ms Mulenga said Zambia also offered a number of investment opportunities in the agriculture sector and would look to Turkey for help in driving the country’s agrarian revolution.