Forget economic growth without a revolution in agricultural sector —M’membe

Socialist Party president, Fred M’membe, says government will be unable to create lasting, tangible economic growth or employment without decisive action to explore Zambia’s great potential in the agricultural sector.

According to a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, M’membe said this should be done by paying particular attention to peasant agriculture and agro processing and linking it to the health and education sector.

He said the International Monetary Fund deal that Hichilema administration has pressed its entire hope on will not help the country much to address the country’s rocketing.

“Transformative peasant agriculture under this government will need new equipment, that is, appropriate ploughs, planters, harvesters and other necessities,” M’membe said.

He said Zambia cannot increase agricultural production with a hoe, that’s for planting flowers around the house and a few beds of vegetables to feed a small family.

“Government will need to set up factories all over the country, employing engineers and their technicians, human resources experts, accountants, IT experts, marketing and sales staff, drivers, mechanics, nurses and clinical officers to ran staff clinics and catering people to manage the staff cafeterias,” M’membe.

He said the Socialist Party’s plans are much bigger than that and will involve many jobs being created in the agricultural sector because of the transformations we will make.

“Of course, our reality, as it stands today, is that we may not have all the engineering expertise required to set up and run these factories.

“We may have to rely on expatriate skills while we train our people in our schools, colleges and universities,” M’membe said.

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