Zambia: Donor Group meets to discuss IFAD project and the situation of food reserves

The Agricultural Donor Group of Zambia held a meeting to discuss two main topics: the situation of the food reserves in this country and IFAD’s proposed project to improve the livestock sector as an option for poor people.

The Director of the Food Reserve Agency of Zambia (FRAZ) was invited to the meeting to provide more details on this agencies mandate and activities in establishing and managing a national Strategic Food Reserve in the country as a way to stabilize food prices through marketing. According to the Director, the country is estimated to produce during 2005, about 1 600 000 MT of cereals. Considering that demand represents 1 862 000 MT and that food reserves account for 110 000 MT, the commercial deficit is 150 000 MT. Government and private sector are working to secure this amount of food in external markets. Participants to the meeting stressed FRAZ’s critical role in food price stability to avoid more vulnerable groups sliding into poverty.

During the meeting, IFAD representatives gave an overview of the proposed livestock project still in preparation, which comprises two main components:

• Capitalisation of smallholder farms to transfer improved technology and re-stock cattle herd in target areas
• Animal disease control to improve institutional capacities for the control of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and East Coast Fever (ECF) in affected areas

The Informal Agriculture Donor Group discusses government policies and programmes relating to rural development and food security in Zambia. Its membership includes: the Zambian government, the Dutch, Finnish, German, Irish, Norwegian and Swedish embassies, the European Union, the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), the United States Cooperation Agency (USAID), the Japanese Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Kingdom Cooperation Agency (DFID), FAO, UNDP, the World Bank, the World Food Programme.

For more information on the activities of this group please contact the FAO representation in Zambia: FAOZM@fao.org