By JULIUS PHIRI –

FARMING is a business and because of that, the Government is very much aware that the agriculture sector is a major employer, especially among women and youths.
Currently, agriculture remains a major contributor factor to the economy of Zambia with 13 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Overall, Eastern Province became the highest producer of maize at 736, 936 metric tones during the 2013/14 farming season in the country.
The production of 736, 936 metric tonnes of maize this year has also surpassed 622,604 produced during the 2012/2013 farming season in the province thereby representing 18.4 percent of the total production in the country.
Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone said at this year’s 38th provincial agricultural and commercial show held at Show-ground in Chipata that the province also recorded the highest production in cotton, burley tobacco, sunflower, groundnuts and soya beans at
national level.
Mr Sichone said through Deputy Permanent Secretary Zechariah Luhanga that the province recorded an increase in the production of burley tobacco at 8,972 metric tones from 7,548 metric tones produced last farming season.
“For groundnuts, the province recorded 37,833 metric tones from last year’s 23,940 metric tones and 17,246 metric tones recorded for soya beans from last year’s 5,592 metric tones,” he said.
The minister said the increase in production means that the farmers have sufficient food for consumption which was important for the national food security and would be able to sell the surplus and earn income.
According to the Zambia Investor Guide of 2012, the Government has put in place several incentives to encourage investment in agriculture sector such as zero rating agriculture products and suppliers when exporting and value added tax (VAT) suspension of importation of agriculture equipment and machinery.
However, the Government was also aware that farmers were facing a lot of challenges in the sector such as failing to access profitable markets for their farm produce due to unfavourable conditions set by some out-grower companies, poor road infrastructure, lack of access to quality healthy services due to long distances to health facilities and lack of clean drinking water in other parts of the country.
It is for this reasons and many others in which the Chipata District Farmers Association (CDFA) which draws membership from independent and democratically organised Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) belonging to the farmers of the district.
Currently the Government was in full support of the work of the CDFA which was up-lifting the lives of the small-holder farmers.
According to Organisational Coordinator Virgil Malambo, CDFA has a vision of a self-sustaining farming community.
The association was officially registered and incorporated under the Laws of Zambia in 2005 with a mission to unite, protect and empower members to lobby and advocate for pro-poor policies that promote secure livelihoods, poverty eradication and development.
The association had been working with various donors communities aimed at empowering the local farmers in different ways.
Recently during the CDFA annual general meeting, Chipata District Commissioner Kalunga Zulu said his Government was determined to improve the agriculture sector through effective management of the Zambia’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy on agriculture.
“I want to assure this house that the Government of the Republic of Zambia will continue to support the efforts made by civil society organizations like Chipata District Farmers Association in up-lifting the lives of small-holder farmers,” he stated.
Mr Zulu explained that a number of farmers have managed to access farming inputs like fertiliser and maize seed  under the Lima Credit Scheme, supported by the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU)and Zambia National Commercial (ZANACO)Bank.
“Mr Chairman, this is a remarkable work and farmers should take advantage of such facility in order to maximize their production and productivity and increase household food security,” he said.
The district commissioner said that the Government which was a listening Government has increased the number of small-holder farmers in order to benefit a number of farmers.
He said during the 2014/15 farming season under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) the number of farmers have swelled up from 43,930 to 45,000.
He urged the farmers to be on the look -out for the crop marketing season that has just started.
Mr Zulu said the desire of the Government was to see the farmers to have alternative or additional income generating ventures so as to boost their incomes levels.
“Chipata District needs investors who can set up a plant for processing primary agro-products into finished products and as a government we are ready to provide support to such an investor. Let me commend the efforts done by the Chipata District Farmers Association by uniting, protecting and empowering small-holder farmers of Chipata District,” he said.
Speaking at the same function, ZNFU director Joseph Lungu said the union was currently enjoying good working relationship with the Government.
He said ZNFU has been a representing farmer in Zambia for the past 109 years saying CDFA was a ZNFU at district level.
Mr Lungu told the house that ZNFU had a woman president in the names of Dr Evelyn Nguleka.
He however, reminded the Government over the late distribution of farming inputs as well as late payment of money to the farmers for the maize which were being sold to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
Chipata District Farmers Association (CDFA) Chairperson Tedson Maseko and Trustee Esnart Mushiba emphasised on the association’s growth.
Ms Mushiba noted that CDFA has grown and reminded the members to continue working hard as there was no one who would develop own areas apart from themselves.
In a nutshell, CDFA has become a reliable organization or spokesperson for the farmers which lobbies on behalf of the small-holders.