Africa’s copper producer Zambia spent the Kwacha equivalent of $17million in food security initiative in the month of October, a MinFin Oct. budget release revealed.
“A total of K170.3million (summing to K1.142billion in 2018) was released towards the Farmer Input Support Program [FISP] to cater for liquidation of outstanding arrears and implementation of the e-voucher programme for the forthcoming 2018/2019 farming season. The Food Security Pack which also complements the FISP, has received a total of K50million so far, and the Food Reserve Agency got K23 million (totaling to K211.6million released in 2018) for procurement of maize and other grains to meet the strategic reserve requirements,” the MinFin carried.
With the planting season commencing with the onset of the first rains, the Ministry of Agriculture has commenced the supply of agriculture inputs for the 2018/2019 farming season. This spend was justified by the criticality of the underlying need, food security. Zambia grows maize and ranks among Africa’s top grain producers with potential to be Africa’s bread basket.
The Southern African nation grows corn along the maize belt that stretches from the Southern part of the country through to the Central parts where the Mkushi farm block resides.