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–Disorganisation and discontent show-goers and exhibitors characterized the recently held first ever Lunga District Agriculture show.
Complaints from participants over transport arrangements to ferry their products to Kasoma Lunga, where the show was being held, and over lack of sanitation facilities, such as toilets in the water logged area, were the order of the day.
One of the exhibitors, Susan Kivenge, said she was very disappointed at the way the
the event was organized as people faced a lot of challenges travelling by water from far off distances from areas like Bwalya Mponda, Nsamba, and other wetland chiefdom islands to Kasoma lunga.
Ms Kivenge said as a result of difficulty and huge expenses to transport their produce, some farmers could not attend the show because they had no money to hire boats to ferry them to their destination.
She also complained about poor hospitality as no proper arrangements were made with regard to construction of make shift toilets around or near the show venue as people had nowhere to go to answer the call of nature.
Ms Kivenge called for organizers to put in place proper and adequate preparatory measures next time because the just-ended show had allegedly not met participants’ expectations.
But Lunga District Commissioner, Rapheal Kauseni, said since it was the first agriculture show to be held in the new district, a lot needs to be done to spearhead development in the area and it is just a starting point and assured that the next expo will be better .
Mr Kauseni said that government uses such shows to spell out its policies and plans for the participants in the agricultural and commercial sectors.
He also disclosed that government is determined to put a significant milestone on the high level of poverty that is prevailing country wide through agriculture.
Mr Kauseni said that Patriotic Front (PF) government has also made tremendous commitment to provide resources for research and development in the sub sector with a view to providing a research based agricultural sector in order to foster crop diversification.
He said the program of subsidy removal by percentage would facilitate availability of an enhanced resource base to fulfil the PF government’s quest for crop diversification, such as rice, which are ideal for areas like Lunga.
The show society Chair person, Chanda Mutale, urged all farmers to take up the natural benefits of conservation farming which should be applied to the various farming systems.
He said the adoption of conservation agriculture provides hope for the small scale farmer in the climate change and soaring food prices in our markets.
Mr Mutale urged farmers to be working hand in hand with the extension officers who are mandated to technically guide them in conservation methodologies and practices.
