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Botswana President, Duma Boko, has called for the harmonization of seed systems, pest control protocols, and promote climate-smart agricultural practices.
President Boko emphasized the need for Zambia and Botswana to prioritise smart agriculture and conservation farming, which not only restore degraded land but also enhance resilience against climate-related shocks.
The Botswana leader was speaking at the 97th Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka on Saturday
He also said the Zambia-Botswana Bi-National Commission should serve as a platform to strengthen joint efforts in responding to climate change.
“We need to strengthen our collaboration between to address the adverse effects of climate change, which continue to impact agricultural yields across the region,” President Boko stated.
He said climate change did not recognise borders and affects countries, necessitating a unified and coordinated response.
President Boko noted that the impact of climate change on food security was no longer a future threat but a present challenge currently affecting lives and livelihoods.
“The urgency to act now cannot be overstated, as agriculture is critical to sustaining livelihoods, ensuring food security, and driving inclusive economic growth,” he emphasized.
President Boko also called for increased youth participation in agriculture and urged that young people be empowered with access to land and other productive resources.
He further also praised Zambia for being a major seed exporter on the continent and called for both countries to develop export-oriented economies.
President Hakainde Hichilema said the Zambian government was also focusing on irrigation agriculture as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“The Zambian government will continue to prioritise local and regional companies to drive economic growth,” Hichilema said.
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He stated that this approach was aimed at empowering local businesses and communities through positive discrimination.
Hichilema thanked his Botswana counterpart for officiating at the 97th Agriculture and Commercial Show and also commended exhibitors, for participating despite the drought experienced in the previous farming season.
Meanwhile, Show Society President, Bernard Moonga, said the show continued to position Zambia as a hub for trade, agriculture, and innovation on the African continent.
During the official opening of the show, the Agricultural and Commercial Show Society of Zambia, in partnership with other stakeholders, donated to President Boko 500 by 50 kilogramme bags of fertiliser.
The donation comprises 250 bags of basal dressing, 250 bags of top dressing as well as 1,200 kilogrammes of maize seed donated and handed over to President Boko.
This year’s Agricultural and Commercial Show Society of Zambia has attracted 1,985 exhibitors, including 24 from foreign countries.
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