Zambian Vice President urges farmers to grow more cotton

20 Jun '14

2 min read

Guy Scott, Vice President of Zambia, a land-locked country in southern Africa, has asked his country’s farmers to grow more cotton, which can be exported and greater revenue can be earned from the same.

Speaking at forum on ‘Revitalising agriculture in Zambia towards the 2014 African Union Year of Agriculture – Changing the way we do it in Zambia’ in Lusaka, Mr. Scott said the cotton textile industry in Zambia has a huge potential and it can contribute a much greater share in the country’s economy.

He said the Government of Zambia is encouraging growing of more cotton on a larger scale. However, Zambian farmers currently treat agriculture as a hobby, and they need to change their attitude towards agriculture if they want to make the sector viable and reach its full potential, he added.

Wylbur Simuusa, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, said the Government of Zambia has implemented policy objectives aimed at achieving a competitive, diversified and sustainable agriculture sector in the country. He added that these policy objectives are helping in addressing shortcomings in the agriculture sector, and make it viable for farmers in the country.

Speaking earlier at the forum, Centre for Trade Policy and Development executive director Isabel Mukelebai requested the Government to increase budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector to help boost smallholder producers’ production, competitiveness and resilience, especially among women farmers.

Through the Commercial Industrialization Policy 2009-14 and the 2013 Strategic Paper on Industrialization and Job Creation, the Government of Zambia identified the textile and garment industry as one of the priority sectors that can drive economic growth in the country.

Last month, the Government of Zambia appointed a committee of permanent secretaries, headed by Siakazongo Siakalenge, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI), to revive the growth of the textile industry in the country.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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