Why is Agriculture & not Mining carrying the Grow Zambia agenda on it’s back?

“If you look at the productive targets, agriculture is getting more weight, with 10 million tonnes of maize, one million tonnes of wheat and sugar, and the one billion dollars in beef exports,” said Chisanga.

He added that agriculture has also helped ease inflationary pressures and supported employment, although many people working in the sector continued to earn relatively low incomes.

Chisanga argued that Zambia can unlock more value from agriculture by increasing commercial production and attracting greater private-sector participation, particularly as farmer’s face rising input costs despite the country’s reported bumper maize harvest.

“The only way to make this sector more vibrant is to commercialise it and ensure there is greater participation from the private sector, because that is how we can begin to change the narrative,” he said.

However, Chisanga cautioned that expanding private-sector participation must not undermine national food security, warning that buyers offering higher prices than the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) can affect the availability and affordability of food locally.

He said the country needs to balance profitable markets for farmers with sufficient domestic food supplies, supported by adequate production and proper storage facilities to prevent shortages that could fuel inflation.

Chisanga noted that government should therefore strengthen the agricultural market by encouraging private investment while improving productivity and ensuring that farmers could earn better returns from their produce.

He told ZBT that the challenge for the Grow Zambia Agenda is whether Zambia can turn its ambitious production targets into higher farmer incomes, more jobs and affordable food, while ensuring that agriculture’s central role is matched by the financing, infrastructure and market reforms needed to sustain growth.

Article by Philip Sinkala