Farmers in the Chitambo district in the Central province should look into livestock farming as a business, says the district commissioner, Catherine Kunda.

“The district has the potential to drive the livestock diversification agenda due to the abundant natural resource base and favourable market prospects,” Kunda said at the first ever livestock and fisheries field day held in Chalilo.

Kunda also emphasized that there is a need for farmers to embrace the concept of farming as a business to enhance the agricultural sector that plays a large part in the growth of the economy of the country.

During the opening of the one-stop livestock service centre at the beginning of September, Chikwa Makasa, district coordinator of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, also iterated the potential that livestock farming holds “due to the abundance of natural resources such as water and grazing land.”

During the opening of this centre, Kunda said infrastructure development plays a critical role in livestock development “and that the construction of the livestock service centre in the district by government through the Agricultural Productivity and Market Enhancement Project will reduce the prevalence of diseases thus ultimately contributing to enhanced household nutrition and food security.”

During the opening Kunda also handed six cattle over to the Lamba Poverty reduction programme for restocking infer the “pass-on-a-loan” programme.