SAFADA proposes govt., agric stakeholders’ meeting

The Small Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has called on government to organise a meeting with agriculture stakeholders to discuss how best to improve the sector in the country.

SAFADA Executive Director Boyd Moobwe said there was urgent need for government to involve all the farming communities if the agriculture industry is to record meaningful development in the country.

Mr. Moobwe told ZANIS in an Interview in Lusaka today that if nothing was urgently done, the agriculture sector in the country will continue dwindling much to the disadvantage of the rural farmers who largely depend on this venture.

He also urged government to ensure that only genuine fertiliser supplying companies were shortlisted to supply the commodity for the 2013-14 farming season.

He observed some companies that were involved in supplying farming inputs to farmers were not genuine.

Mr. Moobwe suggested that stiff penalties should be applied on companies that swindle government and the farming community in the country.

He noted that agriculture was the engine of the nation’s economy saying lack of good policies in this sector exacerbates poverty levels due to staple food deficit.

Meanwhile, Mr. Moobwe has implored farmers across the country to adopt organic agriculture because it was cheap and affordable.

He also stated that conservation farming was the most ideal method of farming because it can work out without chemical fertilisers.