Poor roads hamper Mufulira agro activities
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By Derrick Sinjela published on Monday 11th July 2011
AGRICULTUE is one of the major sources of income generation more especially in rural Zambia, as formal employment is not readily available.
And many young people, who drop out of school resort to farming activities as access to education is not as easy as on the line of rail in Zambia.
Poor roads hamper Mufulira agro activities
The Zambian community has for time immemorial relied on subsistence farming activities more especially among female citizens, who produce most of the food.
A local subsistence farmer, Elias Ziwa of Twikatane Cooperatives in Mufulira narrated that farming was one of the best and reliable mode of raising incomes.
“I am encouraged that most people in the rural areas are motivated and interested to earn incomes through agricultural activities. As most of our people do not have access to formal jobs, farming is a perfect source of income. Farming is the good and I encourage farmers to join or form cooperative societies,” Ziwa advised.
While noting successive bumper harvests recorded, Ziwa bemoaned the growing lack of sufficient markets for agricultural produce and in particular the staple maize grain.
“The biggest challenge at Twikatane Cooperative Society is that traders do not have a ready market for agricultural produce,” Ziwa protested.
Ziwa wants the Zambian Government to rehabilitate the deplorable road infrastructure.
“Traders and transporters are usually discouraged as a result of the poor road networks. Our 30 kilometre stretch road network is in a deplorable state. At times we are forced to abandon vehicles and walk long distances as the road network becomes increasingly impassable,” Ziwa lamented.
Mulenga urged the Zambian Government to work rehabilitate the poor roads to ease the plight of transporters and traders.
