ZAMBIA HAS TODAY SIGNED THE COMPREHENSIVE AFRICA AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME COMPACT (CAADP) TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND THE VISION 2030 THROUGH THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
SPEAKING DURING THE SIGNING CEREMONY IN LUSAKA THIS MORNING, VICE PRESIDENT GEORGE KUNDA POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH ZAMBIA HAS EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED POSITIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AVERAGING 5 PERCENT SINCE 1991, THIS GROWTH HAS YET TO TRANSLATE INTO SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF POVERTY LEVELS ESPECIALLY AMONG THE RURAL PEOPLE.
MR. KUNDA SAYS THIS IS DUE TO THE SLOW GROWTH IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR WHICH IS THE KEY DRIVER IN NATIONAL POVERTY REDUCTION AND IS AVERAGED AT 1.7 PERCENT GROWTH IN THE RECENT YEARS.
HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THERE IS NEED TO DOUBLE MOBILIZATION OF INVESTMENT IN THE SECTOR IF THE DESIRED GOALS ARE TO BE ACHIEVED.
MR. KUNDA HAS SINCE APPEALED TO THE COOPERATING PARTNERS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO HONOUR THEIR COMMITMENTS BY INCREASING INVESTMENTS AND RESOURCE FLOWS INTO KEY AND PRIORITY PROGRAMMES THAT ARE IN COMPREHENSIVE AFRICA AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
AND COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA SECRETARY GENERAL SINDISO NGWENYA HAS URGED THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT IT EXPEDITES THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND INVESTMENT PLAN SO THAT IT CAN ACCESS THE FUNDS FOR THE CAADP INITIATIVE.
MR. NGWENYA ADDED THAT COMESA WILL FURTHER BE MOBILIZING FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNTRY IMPLEMENTS THE CAADP COMPACT.
AND NEPAD REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN BWALYA EXPLAINED THAT SIGNING THE CAADP INITIATIVE RE-AFFIRMS THE RESOLVE THAT AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DEAL WITH ALL ITS PROBLEMS.
SPEAKING AT THE SAME FUNCTION LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES MINISTER BRADFORD MACHILA POINTED OUT THAT ZAMBIAN CAADP COMPACT IS INTENDED TO STRENGTHEN, SUPPORT AND FACILITATE THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURE POLICIES THROUGH FIVE YEAR PHASES.
MEANWHILE THE AFRICAN UNION SAYS THERE IS NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE PROCESS IS SPEEDILY IMPLEMENTED.
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