Agro-sector to benefit from EU fund

BY NELLA MUKALENGE
ZAMBIA’s agriculture sector will benefit from a €484-million fund, which the European Union (EU) is expected to allocate to the country’s growth programmes.
The money will be allocated under the newly-launched 11th European Development Fund (EDF) to be implemented from 2014 to 2020.
Head of EU delegation to Zambia and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Gilles Hervio said the funds will help sustain economic growth, thereby alleviating poverty in the country.
Mr Hervio was speaking in Lusaka yesterday at a media briefing on the review of the EU’s operations last year and upcoming plans for 2014.
“2014 is an important year for the EU because it marks the commencement of the 11th EDF of which Zambia is expected to be allocated €484 million in agriculture, energy and governance,” he said.
He said last year, the EU provided   €11 million to upscale conservation farming in Zambia and €13 to support public finance management.
The conservation agriculture scaling up project is meant to promote diversification and increase productivity.
Mr Hervio said the EU will continue to promote agriculture in Zambia with the aim of reducing reduce poverty by improving income and nutrition of smallholder households, while promoting environmental sustainability.
He said the EU has been supporting conservation agriculture in Zambia since 2006 through various projects and has been able to provide useful capacity building to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock under the EDF.
“The EU will continue to leverage its expertise in supporting sustainable practices, including the safeguarding of  ecosystem services, giving priority to locally-developed practices, smallholder agriculture and rural livelihoods, in value-chain analysis and private sector participation, nutrition including food security promotion,” he said.