President Hichilema Praises Farmers For Increasing Food Security

President Hakainde Hichilema has praised Zambian farmers for reinforcing the country’s food security despite numerous global challenges to supply chains.

 Speaking at the official opening of the 94th Agriculture and Commercial show on Sunday, the President said it was commendable that farmers have endured during a very difficult planting season, managing to provide food not only for local markets but for the wider sub-region of southern Africa as well.

“Countries are asking for our maize, countries are asking for our soya beans and we have been able to deliver. Thank you very much, for being strong and enduring the negativity around farming,” the president said.

Farmers across Africa have been struggling in recent months, largely due to supply chain issues as a result of the war in Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of fertiliser, with the war preventing shipments from reaching Africa via the Black Sea.

The theme of this year’s agriculture show was ‘Innovation through Technology’. During his speech, President Hichilema noted that stakeholders in the agriculture sector should step up their use of technology to overcome challenges such as climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and instability in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province. 

He further urged farmers and business leaders to take advantage of the recently-launched Public-Private Dialogue Forum to engage with potential partners and strengthen the industry’s resilience and capacity for innovation.