Zambia: Over 3,000 farmers are recruited in the rice project

The Ministry of Agriculture in Luapula Province is on course to meet the target of farmers who are to be recruited under the Market Oriented Rice Development Project (MOReDep). Luapula Province Principal Agricultural Officer Osbetty Hamwete revealed that 3,400 Rice farmers from six districts have already been engaged and that they have since started growing the crops. In an interview with ZANIS in Mansa today, Mr Hamwete revealed that the province intends to reach 12, 700 rice farmers before the project comes to an end in 2025 adding that the project will also be supporting the farmers with farming inputs. He said farmers from 30 agricultural camps are already cultivating rice and are doing well adding that he is hopeful that by the end of the project rice production in the province will increase to about 3.5 tons per hectare. “We are not only providing inputs to these farmers but also linking them to markets so that they do not have challenges when selling their harvest. Market ...