Posted Aug 18, 2009
And the committee observed that reports of bad fishing methods were a source of great concern in Namwala District and other parts of the country.
During a meeting with farmers yesterday, parliamentary committee chairperson Mr Request Muntanga told farmers that government expects cattle farmers to follow good animal husbandry practices to ensure that perpetual cattle diseases are contained.
Mr Muntanga who is United party for National Development [UPND] Kalomo Member of parliament said this in response to farmers’ request to government to help them with free drugs for their cattle.
He said government was more concerned with diseases of National economic importance such as Foot and Mouth, contagious Bovine Pluro-pnuemonia [CBPP] among others whose control was beyond the ability of farmers.
"Government is more concerned with cattle diseases that could threaten your entire herds of cattle and therefore your need to follow good animal husbandry practices to supplement government's efforts," said Mr Muntaga.
And at same meeting a headman Munagambwa said farmers in Chief Muchila were stranded with their maize as they had nowhere to sale it after government advised them not to sale it to unscrupulous businessmen.
He said farmers in the area were stunned at government’s stance not to buy all the maize from farmers to enable them buy farming inputs in readiness for the 2009/2009 farming season.
Headman Munagambwa also called for increase in allocation of fertilizer from 1 Lima to 2hectares per farmer.
And the parliamentary committee observed that drastic measures were urgently needed to ensure that fish was not depleted in the water bodies in the country.
Parliamentary committee chairperson Mr Muntanga made this observation this after District fisheries Technician Mr Daniel Chilundika told the committee that illegal fishing methods could significantly reduce fish population in the Kafue and Namwala Rivers .
Mr Chiludika told the committee that the use of illegal fishing nets such the two-inch called chikukula which is made out of potato bags, monofilament nets were on the increase in the area contrary to the Fisheries Act CAP 200 of the Laws of Zambia.
He added that the department had not been able to effectively control illegal fishing methods due to lack of manpower and funding
Mr Mutanga noted that stringent measures were needed to control the influx of illegal fishing activities in most water bodies countrywide.
The Parliamentary committee composed of Kalomo MP Mr Request Muntanga, Chifubu MP Mr Benson Bwalya, Kalabo MP Mr Richard Mwapela, Nangoma MP, Mr Boyd Hamusonde, and Mwinilungu East MP Mr Steven Katuka were on a fact finding mission on issues concerning on fertilizer distributions, livestock, and fisheries.