Zambia Diversify, tobacco growers prodded

Source from:  Times of Zambia 06/06/2005

AGRICULTURE and Cooperatives Minister Mundia Sikatana says there is need for all stakeholders in the tobacco industry to dialogue and find a way forward on the World Health Organisation (WHO) measures to restrict tobacco growing. Mr Sikatana said in Lusaka yesterday in an interview that while the crop was bringing in so much money to the treasury, Zambia was under pressure from WHO to slow down tobacco growing because of health concerns. The minister said the economic disadvantages of stopping growing tobacco were immense and could be more devastating than the effect of smoking. “When you look at the numbers in terms of earnings and consequences of switching off from tobacco over night from this lucrative business, the question of stopping growing tobacco is not an easy issue for countries that depend on the crop,” Mr Sikatana said. He said Government and all stakeholders involved should ensure that whatever measures were put in place to meet WHO requirements, consideration and the interest of those that depended on tobacco needed to be taken into account. The minister added that tobacco farmers should be encouraged to diversify and grow other crops as this would ensure food security in the country. And Mr Sikatana said tobacco farmers should begin growing their own trees that would be used in the curing processes. He observed that the indiscriminate cutting down of trees for curing tobacco was having a negative effect on the Zambian weather pattern and called for restrictions in the usage of natural trees for curing tobacco. Meanwhile, Mr Sikatana has revealed that his ministry had been allowed to employ about 500 extension services workers around the country. Mr Sikatana said the ministry had not employed any extension services workers for a long time to replace those that had retired and those who had died but would do so now.