Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:30:46 +0000 By Nation Reporter LESS than one percent of farmers have access to loans from commercial banks or are registered as business owners, says Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya. The minister also decried that fact that, despite having the potential to drive the economy of the country, most people were shunning farming because they do no perceive it as a business. She reiterated that the agriculture sector in Zambia was limping because less than one percent were registered agriculture related businesses and that only one percent of farmers have access to loans from commercial banks. Speaking at a Zambeef cocktail reception to mark the successful raising of us$65 million of capital from CDC group plc, the minister also said that the sector was not rosy because 94 percent of land needed for agriculture activities was still in traditional hands. “This takes away the opportunity for potential businesses to leverage land for […]
