ABS 2015 Budget highlights on Agric historic achievement during the 2013/14 farming season when over 3.35 million metric tonnes of maize was harvested, the highest tonnage ever attained. This strong performance was due not only to an 8.1 percent increase in the area planted, but more importantly, a 22.3 percent increase in yields, reflecting higher productivity by our farmers. The area planted for other crops such as rice, groundnuts and millet also increased, reflecting that our goal of crop diversification is becoming a reality. 30. Mr. Speaker, to achieve even more productivity in agriculture, Government will increase the resources allocated to the sector. Among others, this will allow for the provision of effective extension services that will equip our farmers with the technical knowledge and skills to remain productive in the face of challenges posed by changing weather patterns. Government will therefore recruit 500 additional extension officers and better equip them by providing motor cycles and extension kits. Government will also ease the housing problem for extension officers by continuing to rehabilitate camp houses in 2015. 31. Sir, to further promote crop diversification, extension services will continue to support farmers in growing crops suitable for the ecological zone. The Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) will also be tailored to provide seeds for a variety of crops according to ecological comparative advantage. Achieving greater productivity and diversification in agriculture will require limiting spending on maize which currently absorbs over two thirds of the entire agriculture budget. 32. Mr. Speaker, in the context of the growing threats of climate change, the Government will upscale support to conservation farming involving a total of 84,000 farmers in 31 districts during the 2014/15 season. 33. To maximise the use of our arable land and grow crops throughout the year, irrigation development will continue to receive high priority with the construction of at least one smallholder irrigation scheme in each Province. This is expected to bring a further 6,000 hectares under irrigation in the next 12 months thereby bringing the total land area brought under irrigation with Government support over the last three years to 17,500 hectares. 34. Mr. Speaker, the focus in the livestock sub-sector will be on enhancing extension and disease control services. This will be done by establishing 23 livestock extension service centres, constructing and rehabilitating livestock blocks and camp houses, establishing 13 Satellite Insemination Centres, continuing the livestock restocking programme and upscaling disease control measures. Government will also encourage initiatives by the private sector to promote livestock production. 35. Mr. Speaker, the current annual national fish consumption stands at 130,000 metric tonnes. However, annual national production is 95,000 metric tonnes of which only 20,000 metric tonnes is from aquaculture and 75,000 metric tonnes is from rivers and lakes. 36. With the depletion of fish in our main water bodies, the development of aquaculture has become imperative. In this regard, Government will undertake reforms that will ease entry of our enterprising citizens in the private sector into aquaculture production. In addition, Government will continue with research activities, provision of extension services, surveillance and fish re-stocking. 37. Mr. Speaker, Government will in 2015 build on the success that has been scored at Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia where the production of Compound D fertiliser has reached 100,000 metric tonnes for the 2014/2015 farming season. Sir, the annual production capacity of Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia to produce Compound D fertiliser has increased to 150,000 metric tonnes following the recapitalisation by Government. 38. Sir, the recapitalisation programme will continue to enable the company recommence production of ammonium nitrate to facilitate local manufacture of top dressing fertiliser and explosives thereby creating further employment opportunities and reducing the importation of fertilisers into the country
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 09:38:25 +0000
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