Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Dr Brian Chitubo has commended ZAMBEEF for its commitment in the production of winter Maize, wheat, and other agriculture products.
Speaking during when he toured the ZAMBEEF farm in Sinazongwe district today Dr Chitubo said there was no need for government to be importing maize when there were commercial farmers that were producing plenty of it.
Dr. Chitubo said it was recommendable that such investment was taking place in Zambia and that government would provide an enabling environment for Agriculture to improve to root out hunger in the country.
He noted that government would be able to approach ZAMBEEF to buy maize if a deficit of the country’s staple food was spotted.
Dr. Chitubo together with the Veterinary and Fisheries Minister Bradford Machila, North Western Minister Joseph Mulyata, and former Bank of Zambia Governor Jacob Mwanza who is also the board Chairperson for ZAMBEEF toured ZAMBEEF Sinazongwe farm.
ZAMBEEF farm Manager for Sinazongwe Charles Mudenda said 700 hectors of winter maize have been planted and 700 tones is expected to be harvested.
He said the company has also planted 1200 hectors of wheat and about 7200 tones of wheat would be harvested.
Chief Sinazongwe of the Tonga people said ZAMBEEF was a serious investor in the district and it had ensured that all the land in the farm was ploughed.
The chief urged ZAMBEEF Directors that included Karl Irwin and Francis Brogan to ensure that some maize remained in the district for sale to caution the impact of maize shortage.
He said ZAMBEEF should open more outlets for the sale of maize mealie-meal to the local communities.
ZAMBEEF Director Karl Irwin said poor state of the bridges on the Maamba/Batooka road was affecting the operation of the Company.
He said the two temporal bridges along the road could only allow a vehicle carrying 25 tones of load to pass through.
Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete said the Road Development Agency (RDA) has already been informed about the problem to ensure that they work of the temporal bridges.
Heads of government departments and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) party officials accompanied the Ministers.
ZANIS
Do you need a degree to be a minister, some ministers are dull
Food security should be Zambia’s effort not the donors.
Damn good minister, but why is Zambia centering on Shikapwasha, Mulogonti, and damn good fellow! Where are the others, credible people! Its the three against the World will they win!