Eighteenth Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum underway in Namibia

Climate prediction experts from the National Meteorological or Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) are meeting at Safari Court Hotel in Windhoek, Namibia, from 27-29 August to develop a consensus climate outlook for the October 2014 to March 2015 rainfall season for the region.

The meeting is part of the Eighteenth Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-18) which is a collaborative effort between the SADC Climate Services Centre, African Development Bank (AfDB), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), and NMHSs  in the region.

The meeting will also review the October 2013 to March 2014 rainfall season for the SADC region and discuss the potential impacts of the consensus seasonal climate outlook on socio-economic sectors including disaster risk management, food security, health, water resources and hydropower management, among others.

Also in attendance are climate scientists from universities, research institutions, as well as regional and international organizations engaged in climate modeling, prediction and applications for the region.

The theme for SARCOF-18 is Advancing Climate Information Services for Resilience Development in Southern African Region.

The SARCOF process help strengthen the capacities of professional and technical staff in a wide range of SADC institutions such as those operating in National Meteorology Hubs and Early Warning Systems, Disaster Preparedness, and Malaria Epidemics Control.

For this reason, SARCOF-18 was preceded by a 9-day Climate Experts Capacity Building Workshop of SADC NMHSs for the purposes of developing the 2014/15 seasonal climate forecast.

Furthermore, the SARCOF process also helps to improve mainstreaming of climate information and prediction services for sustainable socio-economic development in the region.

Political Violence becoming Zambia's DNA

By DOREEN NAWA
VETERAN politician Vernon Mwaanga says political violence is slowly becoming the country’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); whether it is in homes, communities or political gatherings.
And University of Zambia academician Wenstone Mafuleka said political violence undermines national development.
Dr Mwaanga said unprofessionalism among the Zambia Police and high unemployment levels are the major contributors to the rise in political violence in the country.
He said the violence in political parties is slowly filtering into the communities as evidenced by an apparent increase in physical confrontation cases as reported in the media.
Speaking at a two-day political party summit organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) and Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Mwaanga said some political parties have become legalised gangs or bunch of hooligans.
Dr Mwaanga said agents of social change such as the church, civil society and family should assume their roles if the country is to witness a violence-free Zambia.
 “As we prepare to celebrate 50 years, it is important to take stock of political violence which has started showing its ugly face on Zambia’s democracy. An urgent solution needs to be found among political parties.
“We talk about peace but it should be recognised that the peace was worked for by leaders of political parties and other players,” Dr Mwaanga said.
He said the summit should kick-start the death of political violence, which was never there on the political menu before 1991 but that it has now become a norm in the lives of many Zambians.
“High rate of unemployment is a major cause; the uneducated youths remain readily available for hire,” Dr Mwaanga said.
He said the failure by the police to protect every Zambian regardless of one’s political affiliation is a source of worry.       
“We need to give security of tenure to police officers so that they can discharge their duty professionally and fairly without fear of losing their jobs. How best do we restore the lost trust between the police and political parties, especially the opposition. these are questions that need urgent answers.
“I think we should take advantage of judicial reforms to suggest ways in which our men and women in uniform can feel protected from arbitrary dismissals and sanctions,” Dr Mwaanga said.
And speaking earlier, Dr Mafuleka said political parties should concentrate on national development and providing checks and balances to those in power.
“National development has no political affiliation, if the party in power is tasked to put up infrastructure, opposition political parties should then provide checks and balances to ensure that every citizen benefits from the mandate,” Dr Mafuleka said.

Youth and Agriculture: Key Challenges and Concrete Solutions

The global populaton is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050, of which, 14% are youth aged between 15 – 24 years. While the world’s youth population is will grow significantly, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for youth, especially those living in developing countries’ economically stagnant rural areas – remain limited, poorly remunerated and of poor quality. Few young people see a future for themselves in agriculture or rural areas. Some of the major challenges faced are: limited access to land; inadequate access to financial services; insufficient access to knowledge; information and education; difficulties in accessing green jobs; limited access to markets; and limited involvement in policy dialogue.

Yet, solutions exist in all parts of the world.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have joined forces to conduct research and produce a publication which provides real life examples from developing and more advanced economies.
Each of six key challenges indicated above have been documented, and for each of them, seven to nine cases studies illustrate how they can be addressed. Analyses of the experiences, their implementation frameworks and indications on some of their results have been provided.  Additional experiences have been indicated in the conclusions of each chapter. A number of the case studies carry innovations that have strong potentials to strengthen the engagement of youths and family farmers in agricultural value chains, enhance global food security and youth livelihoods.
Many of the initiatives reported originate with the young people themselves. They show that – when there is a supportive environment – youth are able to find innovative ways to create a future for themselves, and also contribute to the societies and communities in which they live.
The document builds on results of the project “Facilitating Access to Rural Youth to Agricultural Activities” undertaken by FAO/IFAD/MIJARC, as well as on CTA youth activities. CTA, FAO and IFAD hope that this publication will help development practitioners, youth leaders, youth associations, producers’ organisations and policy makers alike by providing insights into possible solutions that can be tailored to their own context.
Download your copy here

More Egyptian crops to be grown in Zambia

THE Egyptian government says it intends to increase its farm area in Mwembeshi, Central province in order to cultivate a number of Egyptian crops.

An Egyptian delegation which was in the country last July and visited the farm was impressed with production going on there and how Egyptian crops have adapted to the Zambian climate.

The delegation indicated that there was need to introduce new form of cultivation through crop diversification such as growing of Egyptian maize, peaches, mango, wheat and livestock.

In a statement, Ambassador of Egypt, Mr Ragai Tawfik Nasr said the delegation was happy with the Zambia because of the good weather to which Egyptian crops have adapted so well. The growing of Egyptians crops on the Zambian soils will help the integration in the agriculture sector of both countries. 

“The delegation comprised officials from institute of technological research and cultivation and the Arab land. The team further recommended to maintain the soil and promised to bring new types of Egyptian species,” Mr Nasr said.

Meanwhile, Mr Nasr said Egypt Air, whose initial flights from Cairo to Lusaka had commenced in January, 2011 is expected to resume its flights soon.

The Egyptian airline operated seven flights into Lusaka, from January 17, 2011 to January 28, 2011 after the inaugural flight.

Mr Nasr said the return of Egypt Air to Zambia will increase trade between two countries and also will boost the tourism sector.

Mr Nasr said a delegation from Egypt will be coming to Zambia and discuss the modalities of operations of the Airlines.

 

British High Commission set to host launch of 2014 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer

On Monday 25 August 2014, in commemoration of Women's Month in South Africa, the British High Commission in Pretoria will host the launch of the 2014 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has joined forces with civil society and the European Union to support the publication of the Barometer by Gender Links and the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance, co-led by South Africa Women in Dialogue (SAWID).

Mike Hammond, Head of DFID Southern Africa, Roeland van der Geer, Head of the EU Delegation to South Africa, the Director-General of the Ministry of Women in the Presidency, Colleen Lowe Morna, CEO of Gender Links, and representatives of the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance will be speaking at the launch.

The Barometer was first unveiled at the SADC Gender Ministers Meeting in Malawi and then launched by Oppah Muchinguri, Zimbabwe Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development at the 10th Southern African Civil Society Forum on 28 July.

The Barometer uses two measures for progress; the SADC Gender and Development Index, that evaluates 23 empirical indicators in six areas and the Citizen Score Card that measures citizen perceptions of their government performance on delivering the 28 targets of the SADC Gender and Development Protocol.

The 2014 Barometer reveals that there are still claw back clauses in some constitutions that undercut gender equality provision but on the progress side eleven countries have reviewed their constitutions with progressive clauses on gender. On the governance side, the recent elections in South Africa and Malawi have contributed to low women's representation in the region. With 26% women in parliament and 24% in local government, the region is unlikely to achieve the original 30% target for women in decision-making, let alone the gender parity target, by the end of 2015. The barometer calls for an adoption of a rights based approach in education which is one of the better performing target areas in the region. Women in economic decision making still remains low and access to resources for women is still difficult. Sexual violence against women and girls remains high in the region but strong legislative frameworks on gender based violence are in place.

Progress has been made in the field of HIV and AIDS with the rate of infections decreasing in the region. Progress has been made in the media field with media houses entrenching gender equality in editorial policies. Implementation of the protocol remains the same with 13 countries having signed and 12 having ratified the protocol. Progress has been made by the SADC Gender Protocol Alliance networks in advocacy work on the post 2015 agenda with targets coupled with indicators.

Emma Kaliya, the Alliance Chairperson called on all stakeholders to review the SADC Gender Protocol in light of the 2015 deadline during the SADC Gender Ministers meeting held in Malawi ahead of the SADC Heads of State summit in July 2014.

Other key new research reports that track progress on South Africa's commitments to gender equality are to be launched on Monday. These include:
• The Gender-Based Violence Indicators research study in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.
• The Gender in the 2014 South African National Elections Report.

Media Leaders Launch Pan-African Campaign Against Hate Speech

Nairobi, Kenya, August 20, 2014 – The African Media Initiative (AMI) will today launch a Pan-African campaign against hate speech in Nairobi, Kenya, with a panel debate at Pawa254 from 17h30 – 21h30.

The panel will discuss the “Limits of Press Freedom” and will bring together leading figures in African media, notably: Linus Kaikai, Managing Editor of the Kenyan broadcasting station, NTV, which is part of East Africa’s largest media conglomerate, the Nation Media Group; Eric Chinje, Chief Executive Officer of AMI; Nanjira Sambuli, Researcher on online hate speech at the iHub; Fatuma Abdulahi, owner of Warya Post, Africa’s fastest growing website; and Boniface Mwangi, award-winning photographer and social activist.

The #TurnthePageonHateSpeech campaign serves as a call to media leaders and operators in Africa to lend their full support to efforts to turn the tide against the rise of hate speech on the continent. Using the power of the web, it will also engage thought leaders, journalists, bloggers, writers, poets, cartoonists, and citizens in Africa and across the globe, with the aim of bringing the media and the public’s attention to the devastating effects of hate speech.

Whilst 2014 marks the anniversaries of two momentous events in modern African history – 20 years since the end of apartheid in South Africa and 20 years since the Rwandan Genocide – many African citizens continue to witness and live with a surge of intolerance and hate, growing levels of discrimination, and the rise in ethnic and religious fundamentalism.

According to AMI CEO, Eric Chinje: “Journalists are often used as instruments of propaganda. Yet it is in part the media’s role to defend and promote people's rights and ensure that women, children, minorities and other vulnerable groups in society are not unfairly and unduly targeted.”

The campaign was shaped through a consultation process organized by AMI in Kigali, Rwanda, in April this year. Media organisations and journalist unions, including the Ethical Journalism Network, the African Editors’ Forum, the Federation of African Journalists, and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, to name a few, joined forces to launch this continent-wide campaign.

Speaking in Kigali, the Director of the Ethical Journalism Network, Aidan White affirmed that, “We must promote ethical, tolerant and inclusive journalism. Journalist should not regurgitate hateful speech coming from politicians, or community and religious leaders. It is a journalist’s duty to put things in context and ensure that what they are saying does not incite more hate and violence.”

The campaign will culminate with three days of discussions around the theme at the annual African Media Leaders’ Forum (AMLF), the largest gathering of media professionals on the continent, which this year will take place from November 12 - 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Forum will be chaired by South African anti-apartheid activist Jay Naidoo, the African Union special envoy for Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop, and Researcher on Genocide, Joseph Karorero.

The African Media Initiative is the continent’s largest umbrella association of African media owners, senior executives and other industry stakeholders. AMI’s mandate is to serve as a catalyst for strengthening African media by building the tools, knowledge resources and technical capacity for African media to play an effective public interest role in their societies. This mandate includes assisting with the development of professional standards, financial sustainability, technological adaptability and civic engagement.

Zambia’s sustains agro-sector growth

THE Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) says there has been an increased investment in transforming agriculture in Zambia.

Head of the CAADP in the NEPAD agency Martin Bwalya said although slow, Zambia’s implementation of CAADP initiative has had challenges but at the same time there has been some notable engagement and dialogue on what is the value of CAADP in advancing agriculture in Zambia.

He was speaking during a teleconference held after the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington recently.

“Nonetheless, there has been increased investments, and some small-scale farmers are organizing themselves to produce sugar, cotton and rice. Following Malabo, an irrigation programme to increase land under irrigation by half-a million hectares a year in the next 10 years - Zambia is one of the countries selected for this programme,” Mr Bwalya said.

Mr Bwalya said one of the notable invest is the Kaleya Smallholder farmer initiative in Mazabuka where farmers have come together to grow sugarcane which is later sold to Zambia Sugar.

He said the programme that Zambia has in terms of its national investment plans (NAIP) is something that can deliver results adding that what is needed is for all stakeholders to rally behind the NAIPs. 

He said agriculture was Africa’s solution to long term social and economic development, youth unemployment, gender inequality and climate change.

And commenting on the pledge of by African leaders to invest more in agriculture by allocating at least 10 percent of their national budgets to the agriculture sector, Mr Bwalya said Zambia was on track.

At the African Union summit in Maputo in 2003, African leaders pledged to invest more in agriculture by allocating at least 10 percent of their national budgets to the sector, to adopt sound farming development policies and to achieve at least six percent growth.

Only Burundi, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe have met or surpassed the 10 percent target in one or more years since 2003.

 

Invest in Climate Change adaptation to promote Africa livelihoods by 65%

Investment in climate change adaptation can help ensure that the impacts of climate change - including a projected 20-50 per cent decline in water availability - do not reverse decades of development progress in Africa, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report provides a snapshot of current and predicted future impacts of climate change on livelihoods, agriculture, and human and eco-system health in Africa.
Keeping Track of Adaptation Actions in Africa (KTAA) - Targeted Fiscal Stimulus Actions Making a Difference - is the first graphical report that presents practical examples of successful low-cost adaptation solutions from around sub-Saharan Africa in one concise handbook.
The report includes examples of successful adaptation projects that have provided the impetus for large-scale government investments and policy action.
According to the report, Click to Download the Full Report by 2050 Africa's population will have doubled. The continent will then be home to 2 billion people, the majority of which will still largely depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
"With 94 per cent of agriculture dependent on rainfall, the future impacts of climate change - including increased droughts, flooding, and seal-level rise - may reduce crop yields in some parts of Africa by 15 - 20 per cent," said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
"Such a scenario, if unaddressed, could have grave implications for Africa's most vulnerable states."
"Using projects implemented in various countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the KTAA report clearly demonstrates how investment in adaptation actions can provide, not just low-cost solutions to climate change challenges, but can actually stimulate local economies through more efficient use of natural capital, job creation and increased household incomes."
"By integrating climate change adaptation strategies in national development policies governments can provide transitional pathways to green growth and protect and improve the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of Africans," he added.
The practical publication responds to the 2013 Africa Adaptation Gap Report which was endorsed by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) AMCEN 2013 Gaborone Declaration, and which identified the potentially crippling costs of climate change for Africa.
"Incipient threats posed by climate change, particularly in terms of potentially overturning decades of development efforts in Africa, suggest that future development efforts should incorporate greater resilience to climate change impacts," said President of AMCEN and Minister of State for the Environment, United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Dr. Binilith Mahenge.
"The KTAA report is an action guide that showcases ways to do this in various sectors and African countries should use this as the guiding document for investments in adaptation to climate change."
The first part of the report provides snapshots of the current and predicted future impacts of climate change on livelihoods, agriculture, and human and ecosystem health in Africa, detailing impacts by region, country and even city.
The second half of the report describes how countries through low-cost climate adaptation actions can improve the health and functioning of ecosystems; build community capacity to sustainably manage ecosystems; improve agricultural productivity; and innovatively store water.
For example, an aquatic ecosystems project in one local community in Togo led to an increase in access to water for human use, agriculture and livestock of 488 per cent.
Other key report take-aways of UNEP climate change adaptation projects:

Ecosystem Management Project - Seychelles

• Result - Seychelles introduced national legislation that changed school building codes to enable rainwater catchment systems. About 400 teachers and the students of seven schools in the Seychelles were educated in ecosystem management principles and schools saved US$250 each on water-related expenses.

Forest Ecosystems Project - Rwanda and Uganda

• Result - In Rwanda 2500 farmers were trained in land husbandry and 4850 people were employed and paid via saving and credit cooperatives.


• Result - 432 hectares (ha) of graded terraces were established; 73.72 km of waterways, 59.77 km of cut-off drains and a 105 ha drainage system were put in place. 789 ha of forest was planted.


• Result - The US$100,000 project served as the impetus for the grander Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture investment of US$25 million.


• Result - In Uganda an investment of US$13.26 per person per year generated significant gains in ecosystem protection, livelihood improvement, and the planting of over 31,000 trees.

Agricultural Ecosystems Project - Zambia

• Result - The number of participating households with one or more surplus farm products for sale, rose from 25.9 per cent to 69 per cent. While 61 per cent of the households reported that sales of surplus farm products were contributing 50 per cent or more of their income.

Poor prices threaten Zambia’s cotton sector

AROUND mid-year 2012, cotton farmers in Petauke district in Eastern Province burnt cotton weighing 11,300 Kilogrammes valued at K17.6 million, belonging to Cargill cotton Zambia.

The farmers were reported to have been infuriated by Cargill Zambia officials who went to buy cotton from the farmers with an offer of K 1,600 per kilogramme prompting the irate farmers to burn the cotton which was stacked at Ukwimi Police post in Petauke.

The burnt cotton was bought from farmers in sopa village but that the driver decided to offload it at Ukwimi police post after an attempt by the farmers to intercept the Truck. The farmers also stoned the police post leaving the building damaged.

The reason for all this was simple – cotton pricing.

The farmers and cotton buyers had reached a deadlock on the price of cotton. The price offer was pegged at K1.6 per kilogramme from the K 3.5 which was being offered in 2011.

Two years down the line, the scenario has not changed.

The pricing is still a disappointment to the cotton farmer and this has been attributed as one of the contributing factors to the drop in cotton production in the country.

According to the Cotlook A-Index, global cotton price is at a current level of US$ 2.004, down from US$ 2.044 last month and down from US$ 2.052 one year ago. This is a change of -1.95 percent from last month and -2.34 percent from one year ago.

The unresolved issues surrounding pricing has resulted into a decrease in production. Cotton production has decreased by 13.80 percent to 120, 314 metric tonnes in the 2013/2014 season compared to 139,583 metric tonnes in the 2012/2013 season.

Local cotton producers lag behind their peers on the continent in economically benefiting from the product because they lack negotiating power.  They feel growing cotton is a waste of time and resources.

 “It’s depressing to see that the ginners here have taken advantage of us compared to those in other countries like Zimbabwe. These ginners have the same market for cotton but in Zambia, the ginners get out cotton at the lowest price in the Southern African region, which is unfair and that is why most farmers here are not growing cotton any more as they used to four years ago,” Sydney Simwiinga, a small holder farmer in Gwembe in Southern province.

While farmers in other heavy cotton producing countries like in West Africa are flourishing and making a serious dent on rural poverty, Zambian farmers continue to struggle to make serious returns on their investment as they are at the mercy of the ginning companies.

“Farmers that are not in any agreement with ginners have the choice to either withhold their cotton until a price that makes up. But for us since we were given loans buy the ginners, we have no choice but run at a loss.

“About 99 percent of cotton produced in Zambia is grown under contract and incidentally ginners form the bulk of the contractors who buy it.

It would be difficult for us local farmers to raise our business profile and get meaningful margins on our investment as long as we lacked adequate and reliable working finance,” Mr Simwiinga said.

Currently, the cotton producing sector is primarily driven by the private ginners who contract individual farmers to produce the cotton and also set the price of the commodity.

Zambia has around 280,000 smallholder farmers, who are engaged in seed cotton production.

The cotton industry is very important to Zambia, as it creates employment for a lot of people, especially those in rural areas.

Presently local farmers have a challenge in negotiating selling prices for their produce, a situation which had adversely affected them.

“We are currently selling out cotton at K1.6 and the global market pricing is at US$2 equivalent to over K12. The cotton pricing has not changed. In 2012, we sold the cotton at the same price. The ginners make a lot of money and it is meaningless to continue producing cotton.”

“For example, after ginning the buyers sells the lint for US$2 on the international market but they are left with the seed that goes on to be sold to manufacturers of margarine, cooking oil, soap and stock-feed pushing the value to more than what they pay us. Farmers also deserve a share which must come from fair pricing that takes into consideration these facts,” said Mumbwa-based cotton producer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Currently, the scenario is that ginners provided loans to cotton growers and the ginners will recover their loans after the harvest.

This is mainly because, farmers are not financially empowered to grow cotton on their own, hence ginning companies coming on the scene to provide inputs for cotton production to farmers.

Zambia's cotton industry has developed into the largest quasi-formal distribution network with an estimated two million dependents participating in various out-grower schemes.

A lot of people depend directly and indirectly for their incomes and livelihoods on the cotton value chain.

Despite the cotton industry's great potential to contribute to the national economy, the sector continued to face enormous challenges that needed to be adequately addressed if the sector was to move forward and raise output.

Some farmers actually suggested that Cotton Association of Zambia (CAZ) find some funds to help them set up a revolving fund which would enable them to become self-financing in cotton production.

They contend the situation would help farmers produce their own crop which they would later sale to ginners at a good price.

Recently Government announced that the cotton production for 2013/14 marketing season has dropped drastically by almost half to about 100,000 metric tons  and experts says this is mainly due to poor pricing.

Marble Mwale, a small scale cotton farmer in Mumbwa says, “It is critical for farmers to finance themselves or engage in contract farming. The best way would be for government to finance cotton farmers instead of leaving to ginners who are taking advantage of our vulnerability.

I think if this is done, then the issue of pricing will be dealt with and government can set the cotton price based on the world price for cotton lint to ensure viability and success of local farmers.”

According to Ms Mwale, the country should also focus on quality specialist cotton which can maximise returns throughout the value chain.

However, she notes that when cotton prices are high, goods produced based on cotton become more expensive and consumers will switch to other substitute goods such as polyester fabrics and soya oil.

According to the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), processing of cotton has shifted from developed to developing countries over the last decade.

Both world cotton production and consumption are trending higher, reaching a record in 2008-09 before the global economic crisis affected consumer demand.

The largest producers are China, India, the United States of America (USA), Pakistan and yield increases have led to an overall growth in global production although yields vary from place to place.

The survey reveals that the largest consumers importing cotton for processing are China, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

In Zambia, approximately 227,000 small landholder farmers produce 90 per cent to 95 per cent of all Zambian cotton utilising 254,000 hectares of land.

CEEC director general Likando Mukumbuta said the commission approved 19 projects in Mumbwa and disbursed more than K1.1 million with some of the projects approved being Sulisel Agro Suppliers and General Dealer, Walilanji Agro Marketing, Mulomel General Dealers, Nkausu Supplers, Mudenda Maureen, Kalaka Agro and General Dealers.

Others are Lismark Agro Dealers,Kabanje Agro Dealers, Fundiwa Ruth, Muzondiwe Jessily, Nyirenda Khumbo, Munengo Chrissy, Namukolos Creations, Chakaripper Youth Multipurpose, Shamulumba Agric Cooperative and Chileleko Womens’ Club among many others.

Mr Mukumbuta said that commission promised the people in Mumbwa that it will put people to work so that whatever they get from their fields and whatever they get from the other resources, they will be able to process themselves and that is what they would sale.

He said, these value chains cluster are right under way and a total of K5 million has now been pumped into Mumbwa to commence the industrialization of the district.”

The 2004 cotton production of 172,000 tonnes generated about US$50 million in export earnings of cotton products such as lint cotton, cotton yarn and ready- made cotton garments.

Besides the 227,000 farmers, 1,200 permanent employees, 1,700 temporary employees work in the cotton industry.

Where Dunavant and Clark Cotton companies have developed strong out-grower programs for seed cotton farmers, yield has gone up from 500 to 600 kilogrammes (Kg) per hectare in 2000 to 700 to 800 Kg per in 2001.

The Zambian climate and its general altitude of 750 square metres to 1,200 m create an environment favourable for growing cotton.

Most of Zambia’s cotton is produced by smallholder farmers in the Eastern, Central and Southern Provinces, areas near Lusaka and the Northern Provinces and the Northern region of the Western Province.

Mumbwa District in Central Province has a potentially vibrant cotton sub sector with annual primary production of 23,383 tonnes of cotton and yields of 0.91 tonnes per hectare.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Zambia Population and Demographic projections, Mumbwa District has a population of 254,465 people comprising of 126,875 male and 127,590 female.

There about 30,000 smallholder cotton farmers in Mumbwa with Kaindu, Nambala,Nalubanda, Shibuyunji, Kapyanga, Mukulaikwa, Mumbwa, Central and Nangoma agricultural blocs being the major cotton production areas.

The main value chain actors are smallholder cotton farmers, ginners, agro input suppliers and transporters.

Cotton is processed into seed, lint and fuz seed cake supplied to Cargil, Dunavant , Alliance, Continental and livestock farmers.

It is against this background that the Government is establishing economic clusters in various parts of the districts in the country.

These clusters are expected to capitalise on the district products and resources in order to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Such clusters will create the establishment of supportive infrastructure which will in turn, fuel the development of the district, the province and consequently, the country.

In April this year, Commerce Trade and Industry Minister Bob Sichinga flagged off the 2013 value chain clusters in Mumbwa where he hailed the establishment of Mumbwa Farmers Ginning and Processing Association (MFGP) Company which will encourage more investments in local cotton production.

MFGP which is the anchor investment of CEEC and supports cotton value chain, was established in Mumbwa at the cost of K5 million.

Out of the K5 million, K2, 000,000 is CEEC direct loan and equity, while another K1,500,000 will come from CEEC again as trade finance while K1,500,000 was grant which came from the Ministry of Agriculture at the time.

The project will also demystify cotton processing and export thereby encouraging more Zambians to invest in cotton processing and creating more job opportunities for local people.

There will also be greater circulation of cotton revenues within the district thereby boosting rural economy.

“The company will also encourage more cotton processing and job creation. This project marked the first investment in which the Commission would be taking equity of 32 per cent, a venture capital financing option duly authorised under Citizen Economic Empowerment (CEE) Act number nine of 2006, the minister said.

It is anticipated that the company would increase foreign exchange retention and reduce capital flight from the Zambian economy and that by earning through the farm-gate price and participating in marketing margins on unit, farmers will earn more their cotton.

The establishment of this organisation would help alleviate problems such as shortage of seed cotton most farmers have been faced with.

Farmers will increase income in that seed cotton would be within reach and would no longer have to depend on ginning companies for seed.

These value chain clusters are important because they present an opportunity to strengthen the position of smallholder producers and connect the industry to the market and assure the future of cotton in Zambia.

About 300,000 Zambian farmers totalling 1.5 million families depend on cotton farming as a means of livelihood.

In Africa, the price of seed cotton is tied to the international price of lint raw cotton after ginning in United States dollar per kilogramme (Kg), and determined by global stocks.

 

 

U.S.-African Leaders Summit vital-IFAD

When President Obama and African heads of state and government convene in Washington, DC next week for the first-ever U.S.-African Leaders Summit, they will focus on "investing in the next generation". No theme could be more relevant to the future of sustainable development across the continent.

President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Kanayo F. Nwanze, said today's generation of young people – not only in Africa but worldwide – is the largest in history. Sheer force of numbers means that we urgently need to harness the power and creativity of youth on every continent, from the Americas to the Middle East and Asia. In Africa, that need arises with particular urgency.

"As I wrote in my open letter to African Union leaders before their summit in June, there sometimes seem to be two Africas: one is a new land of opportunities, the other a poor, hungry and hopeless place. But in fact, Africa is rich in resources, and its people are the greatest resource of all – especially the 200 million Africans between the ages of 15 and 24," he said.

Each year at least 10 million young people, more than ever before, enter the labour force on the continent. Yet tens of millions of young Africans remain unemployed. Many who have jobs are trapped in poorly paid or part-time work, leaving their vast potential underutilized and untapped.

At IFAD, we know from experience that young people are the most precious resource a rural community can have. Today, however, many rural areas in Africa are losing their young people, because there are often so few incentives for them to stay. When young rural women and men cannot get an adequate education, make a living or create a secure home, they move to sprawling cities or to foreign countries that, they believe, offer more hope. Some make good and contribute to their communities by sending money home. Too many others become mired in urban poverty. This is a tremendous loss for their families and their nations.

So if we are serious about investing in the next generation in this, the AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security, we must recognize that increased support for agricultural and rural development is essential. How could it be otherwise when some 60 per cent of Africa's people depend wholly or partly on agriculture for their livelihoods? As I noted in my letter to the AU, a thriving small-farm sector helps rural areas retain the young people who would otherwise be driven away.

Targeted investments can make a difference. To start with, support for basic education is critical in rural areas where schools are underfunded and poor children are often taken out of school early and put to work. Young rural people also need vocational training, apprenticeships and further education to give them relevant knowledge and skills.

An IFAD-funded project in Madagascar, for example, provides apprenticeships and job opportunities for thousands of young rural workers, building a stable, skilled workforce for Malagasy small businesses. In Tanzania, IFAD supports farmer field schools that use experiential learning to help farmers of all ages solve problems and acquire new techniques. Those who apply what they learn are reaping the benefits of higher yields, productivity and profits.

Meanwhile, in several West and Central African nations, a regional IFAD grant is providing training and business development services for young women and men involved in farming and other rural enterprises. With help from their mentors, these agricultural entrepreneurs – or “agripreneurs” – are starting up new ventures across the value chain. They are demonstrating that agriculture is an exciting, modern profession through which young people can contribute financially to their communities as both producers and consumers.

But education and training alone are not enough to guarantee sustainable livelihoods. Young adults’ access to finance in rural areas is also vital. In Benin, IFAD supports the establishment and growth of financial service associations − owned by rural people − that offer credit and savings products in more than 190 village banks. Nearly half of all the credit extended by these associations has gone to young women and men.

When basic education, training and credit are widely available to Africa's young rural people, they seize the opportunity to invest in their own farms and businesses. They are empowered to build their skills and confidence. They participate in community decision-making and assume leadership roles in local organizations.

On an even more basic level, investing in Africa's next generation means making nutrition-sensitive agriculture a top priority. You can't de-link agriculture and nutrition, since up to 80 per cent of the food consumed in Africa is produced locally. Yet more than 4 in 10 children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa are undernourished. Failure to expand, sharpen and accelerate our efforts on nutrition will impose a heavy cost in opportunities missed and potential unmet.

One study found that undernutrition in Africa causes economic losses that vary by country from 1.9 to 16.5 per cent of GDP. In addition, governments end up spending billions of dollars on programmes in order to deal with poor nutrition and its effects. Investing in nutrition through agriculture, therefore, is more than a social good. It is sound development policy and good economics. It encompasses partnerships with other sectors, including health, water and sanitation, and education. And it demands careful attention to the social context – notably the status of women – as well as farming practices that protect the environment and foster biodiversity.

As African leaders gather for the summit in Washington in a spirit of partnership, it is important to remember that they, in particular, must take the initiative in fulfilling the promise of the continent's next generation. More than a decade ago, their governments pledged to allocate at least 10 per cent of their national budgets to agriculture, yet only a handful of countries in Africa have consistently reached that threshold.

Even as they seek responsible, transparent foreign investment to alleviate poverty and boost food security, it is time for African leaders to deliver on their commitments. The next generation deserves nothing less.