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Small scale farmers have been urged to seriously consider mechanising their farm lands to enhance productivity.
It is important for farmers to begin using mechanical tools that could lessen physical labour as they engage in farming.
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This is according to Eastern Province Minister, Peter Phiri, during the Provincial and Agriculture Show held in Eastern Province.
Phiri said the government had devised a mechanism that would ensure that the right beneficiaries have access to agricultural input.
He said this in a speech read for him by Chipata District Commissioner, Elidah Mwanza.
Phiri said the government was passionate about enhancing agricultural productivity in the country.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture was promoting adoption of smallholder mechanization so that farmers could easily increase the area under cultivation.
“To this effect, the Ministry of Agriculture has advanced in developing the Mechanization policy that will enhance on-farm processing and effective farming for increased productivity. It is such technologies when incorporated into farming systems at small-scale level that we can have huge agricultural outputs beyond what the province is currently producing,” Phiri said.
“I also wish to advise the farming community to make use of the extension officers that government has placed in the various localities. These officers are knowledgeable and can give valuable advice that can transform our agriculture landscape and livelihoods,” he said.
Phiri said there was need to promote adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture technologies in order to remain productive in the agriculture sector.
The minister said the strategies would help fatmers to remain productive amidst climate change.
“We cannot run away from this reality; the only way we can survive is by adopting climate resilient strategies. Let us prepare our land using rippers and tractors, let us use hybrid seeds, let us use manure, and let us use prescribed and recommended herbicides. These strategies will help us attainment meaningful production potential,” Phiri said.
He said Eastern province was an agricultural based region which played a critical role in enhancing food security for the country at large.
Phiri said the the government would continue to offer agricultural support to the farmers through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
He said the province had since started receiving inputs for the 2023/24 agricultural season.
“Very soon distribution to the farmers will commence. The intention is that before farmers start cultivation they would have received their inputs under FISP,” he said.
Phiri said he was optimistic that the agricultural production in the province would continue to expand.
He added that the farmers had facilities that they could use to have income and food security throughout the year.
“As government through the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project (ZIFLP) under the World Bank support we are constructing 21 farmer led irrigation schemes that aimed at increasing farmer participation in horticultural production for income generation throughout the year. These facilities will greatly benefit the horticultural farmers, as they will be able to engage in agricultural production throughout the year. This will improve their household incomes and livelihoods,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Provincial Show Society Chairperson, Thomas Mtonga, said the agriculture and commercial show was highly significant to the farmers, the business community and the government.
Mtonga said this also provides an ideal platform for interaction between the various players in the economy of the province.
He said over 200 organisations were invited to take part in the Show.
Mtonga said value addition should be promoted in the agriculture sectors as it has the potential to influence increased production.
“This would translate into increased trade and household income thereby reducing household vulnerability to poverty,” he said.
Contributed by Julius Phiri
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