Kelvin Chisanga Pastor CK with Caesar Edward Sindele at Pan African Radio 96.1FM
By Kelvin Chisanga +260 97 9305194
LATE delivery of farmer input support programme is definitely posing a huge potential risk factor to the nutrition and food security in Zambia.
To begin with, Zambia is a serious resourceful commodity player in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for East and Central Africa COMESA) regions.
Zambia has changed the narratives over time on food security since the introduction of Farmer Input Support programme (FISP), as the nation used to be a net importer of maize, her staple grain.
I vividly remember, we had an importation of yellow maize during Frederick Jacob Titus Mpundu Chiluba’s Administration, in 1992, under then Agriculture Minister by Guy Lindsay Scott, a situation that was also mired with a lot of hot talks and this was an immediacy import to cushion the effects of supply deficit at a time which highly characterized with a pressing huge demand for maize in the country.
Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda with Dr. Guy Lindsay Scott at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka
Food security has a potential risk standing on our way of economic growth and this looks like a serious inflation sitting to make spikes sooner than we think of it in full expectations, especially if farming input further delays on the delivery process to the intended farming areas.
This year has taken a different twist as we have kept improving on this policy model since the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) times (1991-2011), especially in contrast to the times of nowadays considering the fact that we are experiencing of dramatic situations that the world is faced with, and we have noticed that Agriculture input support distribution has taken longer than expected during this farming season.
Michael Chilufya Charles Sata (Left) Frederick Jacob Titus Mpundu Chiluba (Center) and Levy Patrick Mwanawasa at Libala Grounds on Wednesday 5th September, 2001 -Picture by Derrick Sinjela
Its indeed such a big threat on both food security and nutritional health for next financial year, especially if not properly taken into typical considerations of expeditious means with the speedy required in distribution process of farmer input support program of raw materials, as this also poises even more serious risk factors to the upcoming and yet to be rebranded agriculture comprehensive support programme.
Agriculture Minister Rueben Mtolo Phiri appointed by President Hakainde Sammy Hichilema
