THE CHAIRPERSON,
DISTINGUISHED GOVERNORS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN,

I AM PLEASED TO JOIN ALL OF YOU AT THE 35TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (IFAD) GOVERNING COUNCIL BEING HELD HERE IN ROME, ITALY.  IN THE FIRST PLACE, I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THE IFAD SECRETARIAT FOR ORGANIZING AND INVITING HIGH LEVEL SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS THE GOVERNING COUNCIL AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD AT LARGE REQUIRES URGENT AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUE OF FOOD INSECURITY.

DISTINGUISHED GOVERNORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REAFFIRM ZAMBIA’S COMMITMENT TO THE 35TH IFAD GOVERNING COUNCIL’S THEME FOR 2012 “SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE: FEEDING THE WORLD, PROTECTING THE PLANET” WHICH COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME THAN NOW WHEN ZAMBIA AND THE WORLD AT LARGE ARE OVERWHELMED WITH THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSED BY UNSUSTAINABLE USE OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.

I AM PLEASED TO INFORM THE COUNCIL THAT ZAMBIA HAS PROGRESSED IMMENSELY  IN PROMOTING AND IMPLEMENTING AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES SUCH AS CONSERVATION FARMING AS WELL AS INTER-CROPPING, CROP/LIVESTOCK INTEGRATION AND AGROFORESTRY THAT HELP IN PRESERVING AND CONSERVING THE NATURAL RESOURCES. IT IS IMPORTANT NOTE THAT CONSERVATION FARMING DOES ONLY IMPROVE THE SOIL FERTILITY IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER, BUT ALSO IMPROVES THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE SOIL LEADING TO INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY OF THE MUCH NEEDED FOOD CROPS TO FEED ZAMBIA AND THE WORLD, WHILE PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT.  

CONSERVATION FARMING OFFERS A SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ZAMBIAN FARMERS TO IMPROVE INFERTILE SOILS, REJUVENATE SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND RECLAIM DETERIORATED FARMLAND. THESE BENEFITS CAN RESULT IN IMPROVED CROP YIELDS FOR OUR FARMERS THEREBY IMPROVING THEIR OUTPUT AND LOCAL ECONOMIES.

DISTINGUISHED GOVERNORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THIS YEARS’ COUNCIL THEME IS IN LINE WITH ZAMBIA’S NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA WHICH AIMS AT SUSTAINING THE AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE BASE. ZAMBIA HAS IDENTIFIED SOIL, WATER AND AIR AS IMPORTANT RESOURCE BASE FOR INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY. ZAMBIA IS WELL ENDOWED WITH NATURAL RESOURCES FOR AGRICULTURAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, ZAMBIA IS UNABLE TO EXPLOIT ITS RESOURCE BASE TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL DUE TO CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS RAPID DEFORESTATION, LOSS OF AGRO-BIODIVERSITY, LAND DEGRADATION AND OVER-FISHING.

TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, THESE PROBLEMS FACING ZAMBIA AND THE WORLD MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SERIOUS DAMAGE IS DONE TO OUR ENVIRONMENT. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT ZAMBIA HAS GIVEN SPECIAL ATTENTION TO PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE FARMING PRACTICES THAT PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME HELP OUR FAMERS COME OUT OF POVERTY. ZAMBIA HAS THE POLITICAL WILL TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS AS ARTICULATED IN THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

DISTINGUISHED GOVERNORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

ZAMBIA ALSO SUPPORTS THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) INITIATIVE ON AGRICULTURE, NAMELY, THE COMPREHENSIVE AFRICA AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CAADP). TO THIS END, ZAMBIA HAS SIGNED THE CAADP COMPACT AND IS NOW AT THE EDGE OF DEVELOPING THE INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL ALSO FOCUS ON PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND ENSURING THAT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH CONTRIBUTE TO, AND BENEFIT FROM AGRICULTURAL GROWTH.

THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PLACED AGRICULTURE AS ONE OF THE KEY PRIORITY SECTORS THAT CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION.  THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR IN ZAMBIA EMPLOYS OVER 60 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL LABOUR FORCE AND IS ALSO THE MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WOMEN WHO COMPRISE 65 PERCENT OF THE RURAL POPULATION.

IN RECENT YEARS, AGRICULTURE IN ZAMBIA HAS ALSO EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNER.

GIVEN OUR VAST RESOURCE ENDOWMENT IN TERMS OF LAND, LABOUR AND WATER, ZAMBIA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND IMPROVE THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE PEOPLE.

THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING AND ENCOURAGING SMALL SCALE FARMERS TO DIVERSIFYING FROM MAIZE INTO MORE MARKETABLE AND PROFITABLE DROUGHT RESISTANT FOOD CROPS SUCH SORGHUM, MILLET CASSAVA, AND OTHER TUBERS THAT USE LESS CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS.  TARGETED SUPPORT TO SMALLHOLDER FARMERS THAT REDUCES THEIR DEPENDENCE ON GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES IS CRITICAL TO ZAMBIA’S AGRICULTURAL GROWTH AS THIS CATEGORY OF FARMERS ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL OUTPUT.

THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE AND NEED FOR SMALL SCALE FRAMERS TO BE MORE ORGANIZED AND TO WORK THROUGH GROUPS TO ACCESS INPUTS, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION MESSAGES AS WELL AS MARKET INFORMATION. IN THIS REGARD, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA IS ALSO EMPHASIZING ON COOPERATIVE PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT WHILE ENCOURAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO ENTER INTO PARTNERSHIP VENTURES WITH THESE FARMER GROUPS TO GROW HIGH VALUE CROPS IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY.

DISTINGUISHED GOVERNORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

LET ME EXPRESS MY GOVERNMENT’S APPRECIATION TO IFAD’S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR TO MY COUNTRY, ZAMBIA. IFAD IS SUPPORTING A NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES IN ZAMBIA THAT INCLUDE (1) SUPPORT TO AGRIBUSINESS PROMOTION PROGRAMME (SAPP), (2) SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAMME (S3P), AND (3) RURAL FINANCE PROGRAMME AND SMALL HOLDER LIVESTOCK INVESTMENT PROGRAMME (SLIP) WHICH ARE ALL AIMED AT  CONTRIBUTING TO THE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN ZAMBIA.

I WISH TO CONCLUDE BY EXPRESSING MY GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE TO FEED ZAMBIA AND THE WORLD AT LARGE, WHILE GUARANTEEING SUSTAINED FOOD PRODUCTION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

I THANK YOU ALL!

23 February 2012