Roan Member of Parliament Joel Chibuye has urged farmers in his constituency to advance to commercial farming by utilising the new dawn government’s decision to remove duty on all imported agricultural equipment.
Mr Chibuye says as the New Dawn government in its 2022 budget has removed the duty on farming implements, farmers in the country are now empowered to grow the agriculture sector thereby increase food production.
The lawmaker was speaking in Kasununo farming block when he handed over a tractor valued K525 thousand bought using the Constituency Development Fund CDF, to farmers in Roan constituency for communal use ahead of the 2021/22 farming season.
“In the recent budget presentation, the government has removed the duty on farming equipment such as tractors, combined harvesters, ploughs and this coupled with the plenty of land available to us, the onus is on you farmers to take advantage and take up farming on a commercial basis.
“ We may be restricted in our production due to the size of land we cultivate due to lack of equipment but I want to see farmers here graduate and multiply their produce by forming farming cooperatives and be able to buy equipment and other things that can enhance production, ” he said.
He further urged farmers to form cooperatives and take advantage of the government’s intentions to reintroduce farming estates so as to benefit from the various economic ventures.
During his national budget in parliament a fortnight ago, Finance and National Development minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said to improve productivity through mechanization in the agricultural sector, he proposed a zero-rate Value Added Tax on selected agricultural equipment and accessories.
These includes manure Spreaders, Balers, Combine Harvesters, Commercial Sprinkler Irrigation Systems and Animal Feed Grinder Mixer.
Others include Pelleting Machines, Sprayers, Trailers of a specific HS code; and Dryers for agricultural products of a specific HS code.
This measure will result in revenue loss of K19.0 million, Dr Musokotwane said
And speaking at the same occasion, Luanshya Mayor Charles Mulenga appealed to farmers to take ownership of the tractor to transform Roan constituency into a food hub of the district and the Copperbelt province as a whole.
“This equipment, which is here today, has the potential to transform Roan and our district into a food hub, as you are aware, agriculture, if well harnessed, has the potential to foster economic development and create national wealth “he observed.
Speaking earlier, Luanshya Senior Agriculture Officer John Phiri observed that the procurement of the tractor was timely and will help the district attain a bumper harvest due increased production hectares.
Mr Phiri said “with the coming of the tractor am sure that our hard working farmers you will be able to cultivate a bigger hectarage and contribute to the food security of the district and the province if well utilized”.
He further urged farmers to safeguard the equipment and apply it fully to increase food production and community livelihood.
Representing farmers, Noah Mwewa thanked the government for the procurement of the tractor which he said would boost food production in the district.
Mr Mwewa further appealed to the government to also consider opening up more Food Reserve Agency crop selling depots to ease the process of transporting maize to the existing depots.
I hope a plan is in place how maintenance of the tractor will be sustained as tendency among certain Zambian communities a provider of any facility that is meant to benefit a particular community the expectations are that the provider would continue facilitating its maintenance, People of this community that has received this tractor should also be looking into how quickly the acquired tractor can quickly “give birth” to a second one without government intervention.