Africa-Press – Zambia. The Small Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has expressed confidence that President-elect Hakainde Hichilema’s incoming cabinet will spur both the social and economic development of the country.
SAFADA Executive Director, Boyd Moobwe stated that time has come for some challenges facing the agriculture sector to be addressed. Mr Moobwe cited the cost of production and high price of farm inputs as among the issues that needed urgent attention.
In a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today, the SAFADA Executive Director pointed out that unstable market place and marketing systems alluding to brief case buyers should be looked into.
“Access to land and other productive resources is a challenge. Farmers are normally displaced based on various factors which are not well explained. Access to financial services and production resources need the attention of the high office and we are sure that with his experience the President elect will address this,” the statement read in part.
He also called for institutional capacity building of firms such as the small scale farmer’s development agency, research and development institutes that supplement the government efforts in assisting the small scale farmers in Zambia.
“We inform the President-elect Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his government that the small scale farmers development agency-SAFADA have a strong vision for Zambia hence has introduced the family farmer advancement support initiative to deal with family farmers problems in agriculture. We want to establish the Agriculture center of Excellence for small scale farmers to train farmers and empower them with basic agriculture science knowledge and facilitate adoption of new technology and innovation,” he stressed.
Mr Moobwe noted that Government should facilitate a sustainable agriculture development through commercialization of small scale farmer through rural based institutions
