LET’S FOCUS ON FARM BLOCKS – NUSFAZ

FARM blocks are a pediment in the development of the agriculture sector and there must be some deliberate measures to ensure that the agricultural sector is developed holistically, National Union for Small scale Farmers in Zambia (NUSFAZ) Executive Director Ebony Lolozi has said.

Speaking to The Scoop, Mr. Lolozi said there were many interventions that can be undertaken to ensure that all farm block areas that are identified to enhance the sector are propagated.

“For many farmers to participate in the development of farm blocks in specific areas there must be access to roads, clear communication and financial support in order for the farmers to tap in various categories of farming,” he said.

He said the development of farm blocks in areas they exist is incomplete without good road networks for farmers to access as it makes the cost of transporting their merchandise difficult and expensive.

“The existence of farm blocks without good road networks and financial support to the investment in these sectors will add no value to the growth of the sector. It is a good intervention but there is need for support to yield good benefits.

It is important as a country to move away from rhetoric to be people that are implementing programs that will realize benefits at the end of the day. These farm blocks are identified in all the provinces in Zambia but we have not seen any improvement in terms of infrastructure, roads, water, electricity and other investments where farmers can engage farming,” he said.

He said when all investments are made available it would be easy for the farmers that would like to venture into different agriculture activities to easily jump on.

“In a long time, these farm blocks have been mare settlement areas where smallholder farmers settle without getting involved in any activities. These areas must be areas that have high activities of agriculture to advance the sector and make the country food secure. We cannot have expensive mealie meal or maize shortages when we can take advantage of these farm blocks,” he said.

Mr. Lolozi said that the farm blocks should be areas of agriculture throughout the year adding that during dry seasons farmers can engage in irrigation activities or horticulture.

“We need to see much more focus in the area of farm blocks and we need to see more budgetary allocation in the farm blocks throughout the country so that these areas should have foreign and local investment,” he said.