Mkushi District Commissioner, Jonathan Kapungwe has affirmed Government’s commitment to improving road infrastructure in the farming communities of the district.
Mr. Kapungwe said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mkushi Senior Agriculture Officer (SAO) Patrick Mutale at the Lweo agricultural block show.
He said the importance of rehabilitating the feeder roads is in tandem with Government’s overall objective of consolidating agricultural sector as the cornerstone of a diversified economy.
“The feeder roads are important elements in this objective as they make it easier for farmers to take the produce to the market places,” he said.
He assured farmers in the Lweo zone that Government attaches importance towards reducing poverty through enhancing agriculture production, adding that good road network is a vital factor in this objective.
Meanwhile, Lweo block farmers’ Chairperson Christopher Mwelwa implored Government to consider facilitating investments of industries that pertain to food processing in the area.
Mr. Mwelwa said that it is important for the Ministry of Small Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) to champion this appeal and capitalize on the increased CDF(Constituency Development Fund) as basis for adding value to the raw crops through manufacturing investments.
He also stressed on the need to beef up the agricultural extension services, saying that there is only one Officer who is manning all the 4 camps in this block.
He said to add to these concerns, there is need to address the long standing appeal for Rural Electrification Program, adding that this could complement the prospects of increasing agriculture performance through secondary manufacturing production.