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Bishop Joshua Banda, President of the Pentecostal Assembly of Zambia (PAOGZ), has stressed the importance of understanding the current challenges and responding effectively to the severe drought affecting farmers in the country. At the annual agricultural conference themed “Land, My Ancient Heritage: Understanding the Times, Responding in Time”, Bishop Banda stressed the need for farmers to adopt innovative practices to improve productivity and sustainability.
The event featured exhibitions and demonstrations of a wide range of agricultural machinery and value-added products, as well as expert presentations and discussions on climate-smart agriculture, conservation agriculture and value-added strategies. Researchers, farmers and stakeholders contributed their insights, aiming to equip attendees with the knowledge needed to meet current agricultural challenges.
During his apostolic visit to the Northern Region, Bishop Banda and his entourage visited Chief Chitimukuru, Mwine Lubemba Kanyanta Manga Sosala, at the Royal Palace. The Bishop thanked Chief Chitimukuru and highlighted PAOGZ’s mission of community transformation in Bemba land, seeking the Chief’s support for the spread of the Gospel. Bishop Banda took the opportunity to pray for Chief Chitimukuru, may God bless him.
Chief Chitimukulu shared his personal story of conversion from Marxism and atheism to faith, followed by his imprisonment and later his ascension to chieftainship. He thanked Bishop Banda for his efforts in spreading the gospel in the Bemba area of the church and presided over the mega Sunday service in Malore. Bishop Banda was also impressed by the success of Apostle Jonia in establishing eight branch churches in Malore and he encouraged the congregation and prayed for the land, anointing it with holy oil amid praises and cheers.
The Minister of Agriculture, Reuben Mtolo, who chaired the meeting, urged small-scale farmers in the Northern Province to adopt mechanized farming to increase production. He stressed that mechanization and value addition were essential to modernize the agricultural sector to improve productivity and increase farmers’ income.
Mr Mtolo highlighted initiatives such as the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility (SAFF), which helps farmers buy machinery as part of efforts to boost productivity. He also encouraged farmers to adopt innovation and technology to remain competitive and assured them that the Zambia Meteorological Department forecast average or above average rainfall for the upcoming agricultural season.
The conference, organised by the Pentecostal Assembly of God in Kasama, focused on promoting agricultural mechanization and value addition to address the drought crisis and modernise agriculture, aimed at improving the livelihoods of farmers in the region.
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