Govt equips five farming centres in Northern Province
By Paul Shalala
Government has set up five Centres of Excellence in agriculture mechanisation in Northern Province in an effort to boost productivity in the region.
The centres have been fully equipped with agricultural equipment such as tractors, harrows, disks, planters and other farming implements to promote mechanisation in farming.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary BERNARD MPUNDU says the Centres of Excellence have been set up in Kasama, Luwingu, Mungwi, Mbala and Mporokoso Districts.
Mr. MPUNDU says the equipment has already been delivered at the five centres in an effort to promote the use of advanced equipment in agriculture in the region.
And Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs LEVY NGOMA has predicted a bumper harvest in the northern circuit.
Mr. NGOMA said he is impressed with the amount of rainfall and the growth of maize planted so far in Luapula, Muchinga and Northern Provinces.
He has urged the Food Reserve Agency to prepare adequately to mop up the maize in the three provinces when the harvest is ready.
Mr. NGOMA said this after visiting farmers in Kasosa Village in Kawambwa District of Luapula Province where maize is doing fine.
And a local farmer MULENGA KASOSA, who has planted six hectares of maize, said the early distribution of fertilizer under the Farmer Input Support Programme -FISP and good rains are likely to give him a good yield.
