Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Country representative, Suze-Percy Filippin has reaffirmed the UN AGENCY’S RESOLVE to continue working with the Zambian government to respond to challenges experienced by smallholder farmers and continue contributing to the transformation of the agriculture sector.
Speaking during the ongoing three day Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) Project review meeting in Lusaka today, Ms Fillipin says the four and half years European Union (EU) funded project, is being implemented in 27 districts, in five provinces of Copperbelt, eastern, northern, southern and western representing three major agro-ecological regions of Zambia.
She says the project which has been implemented from 2019 and will run up to 2023 aims at testing, promoting and enhancing the uptake of sustainable intensification practices among smallholder farmers.
Ms. Filippin says among the challenges that affected field implementation of the project include the current farming season which she said has been adversely affected by the late onset of the rains and prolonged dry spells in most parts of the project areas while some have been affected by fall army worms.
Officiating at the meeting, Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Green Mbozi expressed delight that the project is not only focusing on production and productivity, but also on the transformation of farmers to seriously take farming as a business.
Ministry Director of Agriculture Moses Mwale who read the speech on behalf of the Permanent Secretary urged farmers to not only produce for household food security, but endeavor to produce for the market.