Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda says there is need for the country to work hard and stop the importation of fertilizer considering that Zambia has the capacity to produce the commodity.
Speaking during a conducted tour of Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia in Kafue this morning, MR.CHIKWANDA says there is need to continue supporting Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) CONSIDERING that the economy of the country now lies in agriculture.
Mr Chikwanda notes that in the nearby future, the country’s agriculture exports will overtake the exports of minerals thus the need to give agriculture the attention it deserves.
He says it is for this reason that government sees it fit to continue supporting the agriculture sector because of the positive impact it has on the country’s economic growth.
Mr Chikwanda says agriculture has been identified by government as a tool that can be used to transform Zambia.
And NCZ Chief Executive Officer Zuze Banda told the Minister that of the 106, 409 tones of D compound fertilizer expected to be produced and distributed by NCZ for the 2014/15 farming season,85,213 tones has been produced and successfully distributed.
Mr. Banda says the two major challenges the company is facing is power interruption and inadequate funding.
He says following the revamping of the company, a lot of employment opportunities have been created reducing the number of unemployed youths in the Kafue district.
And Agriculture Minister Wilbur Simuusa has thanked the Ministry of Finance for the continued support to the agriculture sector.
Mr Simuusa says agriculture remains the backbone of the country’s economy.