Zambia must move from depending on the mining sector – Chanoda

By Moddipher Kapungwe

Patriotic Front (PF) Member Chanoda Ngwira says Zambia must move from depending on the mining sector.

According to Mr Ngwira, agriculture has proven to be the major finance earner for the country.

Debating the motion “How can Zambia develop” on Ubuntu channel Zambia’s debate program, Mr Ngwira has noted that countries that are largely dependent on mines like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are depending on other countries for agricultural inputs.

Mr Ngwira has since appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to invest much in agriculture.

But Nkhani Zanga Founder James Banda says the Agriculture sector in Zambia has received a lot of investment from different Governments.

Mr Banda debates that the only way the country to develop in agriculture is through value addition on raw materials.

According to Mr Banda, for over 50 years, Zambia has been exporting raw materials and agricultural inputs, instead of becoming industrious and making finished products which can be branded and exported to other countries.

He says that Stakeholders like FISP were introduced with the goal to empower peasant farmers into commercial farmers but till date there has not been growth in agriculture because not enough knowledge has been given to farmers.