By HELEN ZULU –

THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) says local investors should utilise the vast undeveloped land in the country to set up agricultural processing industries that could contribute to wealth creation in the country.
ZDA director general Patrick Chisanga said the country still had vast undeveloped land that local investors could utilise to set up agricultural processing industries that could contribute to value addition and promote job creation.
Mr Chisanga said the agency was working at promoting rural investment by encouraging investors to set up processing industries aimed at creating ready market for small-scale farmers and reduce rural-urban migration.
He said this on Wednesday when he made submissions to the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour chaired by Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo.
“It is unfortunate that most local investors are unable to participate in huge developmental projects due to limited access of funds.
“Land availability, favourable weather conditions and access to vast water resources make the agriculture sector in Zambia a key driver for accelerated economic growth,” Mr Chisanga said.
The committee was discussing the high poverty levels in the face of sustainable economic growth in Zambia.
Mr Chisanga said the agriculture sector was a main source of income and employment for the majority of Zambians especially in rural areas, but most of them had not realised its potential.
He  also called for increased funding from the treasury to ZDA to enhance service delivery and implementation of strategies with a bearing on poverty reduction.
Mr Chisanga said funding from the treasury to the agency had remained static in the last three years while operational costs had increased.
He said limited funding had greatly affected service delivery and implementation of strategies with a bearing on poverty reduction.
Increased funding would sustain the works of the agency and enable it facilitate value addition activities in the agriculture sector in rural parts of the country.
Mr Chisanga said this would result in jobs being created in most districts of the country through outgrower schemes.
He further said ZDA had plans to open up offices in all provinces in the country to ensure that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from their projects.
Currently the agency only has three offices making it difficult for SMEs to receive the support that they need to develop.
“Unless ZDA is present in all provinces especially in rural areas, it is difficult to reach out to all SMEs in the country,” Mr Chisanga said.