Agriculture Key to Solving Zambia’s Youth Unemployment Crisis, Says Economist Chisanga
Economist Kelvin Chisanga has emphasized the crucial role that agriculture can play in addressing Zambia’s youth unemployment crisis. With approximately 41% of its land arable, Zambia possesses vast potential for agricultural development.
Mr. Chisanga argues that young Zambians should recognize the wealth that lies within the soil and shift their focus from the dwindling availability of white-collar jobs to the opportunities in agriculture.
“The youth should know that money is right in the soil,” he asserts, urging the younger generation to embrace agricultural ventures. As traditional employment markets shrink, he believes that agriculture offers a viable solution to the rising numbers of unemployed youths.
Mr. Chisanga highlights that the young demographic is a productive class, poised to drive growth in this vital sector.
Zambia’s unique soil conditions, characterized by its richness and absence of acidic properties, provide an excellent foundation for a variety of crops. “There is no land as beautiful as the land of mother Zambia,” he notes, underscoring the country’s potential to cultivate a wide range of agricultural products.
Mr. Chisanga also points out the need for the nation to diversify its agricultural outputs beyond maize. Currently, Zambia’s national feeding capacity requires about 2.9 million tons of maize grains for its population of 20 million.
To enhance market offerings, he proposes increasing maize production to over 7.2 million tons, allowing the country to export about 5 million tons of processed maize, particularly to lucrative markets in Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Furthermore, Mr. Chisanga advocates for vertical integration within the agricultural sector, such as processing tomato juice and other value-added products. This approach could open new market opportunities and enhance the nutritional food chain in Zambia.
