HH: We will invest in our farmers

When it comes to the UPND’s plan to fix the economy we proudly place agriculture front and centre.

Farming is one of the greatest areas of opportunity for us as a nation. It provides many answers as to how we can move Zambia forward and can be a great source of national pride.

We believe the PF has let farmers down with late delivery of inputs and payment. They have invested very little in agriculture, despite borrowing billions on international markets. This is why many of our farmers are struggling and why we are also seeing rising food prices that are hurting our people.

As UPND we will fix it. We will see farmers get higher yields by reducing the price of inputs, such as fertiliser and seed, and ensuring timely delivery so our farmers are able to plan with confidence.

We will lower food prices by increasing productivity. Drawing on our experience in farming we will set up training centres and invest in extension services, as well as increasing access to affordable credit, including cattle loans for our youth.

We will help our farmers to access the market of more than 600 million people on our doorstep across the COMESA, EAC and SADC region. A UPND Government will oversee investment in value-addition to transform raw groundnuts to peanut butter, cotton to cotton seed oil, soybeans to soy oil and soy cake, and maize to mealie meal and maize bran. You will be able to buy food and products that are Zambian from farm to fork under UPND.

Farming not only puts food on the table and creates jobs, but if we invest in the sector and support our farmers then we can drive our whole economy forward.

Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President