By DARLINGTON CHILUBATHE diversification of the agriculture sector has been a political and economic theme for Zambia since the 1970s when it became obvious that single commodity dependence could negatively impact the country.This dependence on copper has since plagued successive administrations and resulted in the creation of subsidy programmes with the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) ranking high among them in the agriculture sector.This programme, while creating an intersection of finance for the supplier, the banks and the government, only solves part of the problem and remains a non-refundable expense on the national budget – albeit a necessary one. The most noticeable thing about agriculture in Zambia is that it is not aptly mechanised. In other words, the sector is dependent on weather patterns and therefore makes it prone to such catastrophes as drought.This perhaps explains why food for local consumption is largely produced by local farmers than the more business-oriented commercial farmers. The Bank of […]
BALANCING THE AGRICULTURE TIGHTROPE: A CASE FOR ZAMBIA
