Zambia Gets K265 billion Loan
The World Bank has given Zambia a 265 billion Kwacha loan to boost livestock production and animal disease control. Speaking at a signing ceremony for the loan, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda said the low productivity in the livestock subsector is attributable to underinvestment. Mr Chikwanda says it is about time the agriculture sector diversifies to livestock from maize which last year absorbed more resources than the entire health sector. He says beef from Zambia has been keenly received in export destinations adding that the livestock sector which includes pork and poultry can lift thousands of people out of poverty. And World Bank Country Director, Kundhavi Kandiresan says the project targets 400 thousand smallholder livestock farmers in selected areas to improve cattle, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry production. She adds that one million other farmers who keep livestock will indirectly benefit from the project through improved control of animal diseases. The project target areas are the Eastern, Southern and Western provinces. The project has a component of funding the Ministry of agriculture and Livestock, training for extension officers. Farmers will only access the funding through farming groups.
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