By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
THE World Bank has given Zambia more than US$50 million as counterpart funding towards the implementation of an agricultural irrigation project.
Agriculture Deputy Minister Maxus Ng’onga said the World Bank has provided funding for irrigation projects in Southern, Copperbelt and Central provinces.
Mr Ng’onga was speaking at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary for Press and Tourism at the Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia Naomi Chulu.
Mr Ng’onga said the irrigation project was aimed at making Zambia food secure and feed the African continent.
He said this was one of the interventions that the Zambian Government had embarked on to mitigate and adapt to the devastating effects of climate change in the agricultural sector.
Introduction of the e-voucher system would also help farmers cope with climate change effects as it would enable them diversify the choice of crop cultivation and livestock farming.
Meanwhile, Mr Ng’onga said there was need for mindset change among African youths to embrace agriculture in order to improve the economies as well as make Africa food sufficient.
He said that the promotion of youth involvement in agriculture by the African Development Bank would enable youths become agro-entrepreneurs.
The change of youth mind set would change the culture of leaving agricultural activities to elderly people.