By CASSEY  KAYULA –
GOVERNMENT has been urged to prioritise investment towards the agriculture sector to diversify the economy by reducing heavy dependence on Copper.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) director industry and agriculture Thierry Mutombo said the best way to diversify the Zambian economy was by investing in sectors that would directly address the needs of the local people.
He said this at a COMESA- Zambia media interaction workshop in Sivaonga recently.
Mr Mutombo said agriculture was a business that could grow any nation’s economy hence the need for the Zambian government to change the approach towards the sector.
“For Zambia to diversify its economy by reducing its heavy dependence on copper, government must prioritise its investment towards the agriculture sector. It is only possible to diversify an economy when a state and its citizens change their attitude on agriculture by seeing beyond food security,” he said.
Mr Mutombo said there was need for investment that would promote the use of technology and full utilization of linkages among the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
He also said currently the region has low cassava production and Zambia is potentially equipped to increase its contribution to the region’s food availability and agricultura value chains.
Mr Mutombo further called for a dynamic approach in the management of the agriculture sector in the country.
He said there is need to look at agriculture as a lucrative business and not just a source of food security.
“There is a huge demand for agriculture products within and outside the continent, Zambia should take advantage of the high demand for agriculture products to grow the sector’s business prospects,” he said.