By Lwarence Kabutu
The Ministry of Agriculture in Southern Province has reaffirmed its commitment in providing support to 35 cooperatives societies that received matching grants from the Zambia Agribusiness and Trade Project (ZATP).
Southern Province Agricultural Coordinator Dr. Max Choombe said his Ministry together with ZATP will ensure increased food security, nutrition, and income among farmers.
Dr. Choombe was speaking in a speech ready on his behalf by Southern Province Agricultural Information Officer Lawrence Kabutu during the ZATP Technical Services Providers stakeholders meeting in Livingstone.
Dr. Choombe said the New Down Administration has expressed commitment to ensure that agriculture is made to be the main engine of economic development.
He called on stakeholders that included the ministry of agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and Forestry department among others to ensure sustainability of various alternative value chains
And Technical Services Providers Team Leader Dr. Baba Niber outlined the critical components of the ZATP project as grants, capacity building, and last mile infrastructure provided to smallholder farmers through cooperatives.
Dr. Niber further presented a summary of results of undertaken by the Technical Services Providers as 95 Producer Organisations among them Cooperatives are actively receiving funding (matching grants) from ZATP.
Dr. Niber enlightened that 78 Livestock Officers were trained and 3,300 farmers were coached in Business planning.
Others are 427 Business Plans submitted for adjudication out of which 149 were recommended for approval while 127 referred and 152 rejected.
ZATP is operating in four districts of Southern Province namely Livingstone, Choma, Monze and Mazabuka with the aim of providing Market Linkages and attaining firm growth in Agribusiness and Trade by providing matching grants to cooperatives.
