Govt urged to allocate 10% to Agric from budget

Government has been urged to allocate more that 10 percent of the national budget towards the agriculture sector if the dream of diversifying the country’s economy is to be realized.

Patrick Nshindano

Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) Executive Director Patrick Nshindano says the agriculture sector remains key to Zambia’s economic growth as well as poverty reduction.

Mr. Nshindano notes that the 2017 national budget be critical in that it comes at a time when the country will start the implementation of the 7^th National Development Plan which will also play a pivotal role in agriculture diversification.

He adds that government should always remember in whatever it does that the transformation of the country solely lies in agriculture diversification.

Speaking in a separate interview, Agricultural Technical and Professional Staff Union of Zambia (ATPSUZ) General Secretary Joe Kamutumwa says government should realise that it has no control on the determination of copper prices, thus the need to focus on things they can have control over in earning foreign exchange.

Mr. Kamutumwa has encouraged government to honor the Maputo Declaration of allocating not less than 10 percent of the total budget to the agriculture sector.

He says this will help the country achieve its diversification agenda.