By Staff Writer
Minister of Defence Ambrose Lufuma has urged the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to continue embracing modern agricultural methods and technology.
Mr Lufuma said embracing modern agricultural methods will improve productivity and impact positively on the performance of the country’s economy.
He said this when he commissioned the agriculture earth moving equipment , and flagging off the wheat harvesting at the ZNS Airport farm in Chongwe district in Lusaka province.
He said government is happy that ZNS’s purchase of two multi-purpose combine harvesters will help to enhance productivity of the nation through mechanisation of farm operations.
Mr Lufuma also said that the waging war in Ukraine has awakened the wave among many African countries regarding the need to grow more food.
“So apart from pushing the attainment of food sovereignty, the government is working on incentivizing the farming community to position our country to be a net exporter of various agriculture produce. It is especially heart-warming to realise that the service is adding a more taste brand of heavy-duty pieces of equipment to its aging fleet,” he said
Mr Lufuma has since appealed to ZNS command to ensure that they speed up the Lusitu irrigation Scheme in Chirundu district and the Luswashi irrigation scheme in Mufulira under production.
He said the earth moving equipment will help ZNS to continue positioning itself to be reliable to the government in the construction of various earth works.
And ZNS Commander Lieutenant General, Maliti Solochi said the modern pieces of agriculture machinery have been bought using internally generated resources at the cost of K6, 800.000.
Lieutenant General Solochi said the equipment will improve efficiency in the harvesting of the crop as there will be better grain yield owing to good agricultural practices.
“Other than harvesting wheat, the combine harvesters will also improve the service’s efficiency in the harvesting of soya beans and maize,” he said.
Lieutenant General Solochi said that the service will soon begin to reap benefits of the 11,224,000 spent on buying all pieces of equipment.
