The newly appointed Agricultural minister, Dora Siliya, says agriculture must be the number one sector for her government and holds large potential and that it needs to be exploited.

“The reason is simple, beyond food security is the capacity for agriculture to provide quick wins through jobs and wealth creation. I will lead this sector into an economic one. Siliya said during her opening statement.

Siliya was sworn in on Tuesday, 27 September by the re- elected President Edgar Lungu, and told Lusaka Times she would work tirelessly to make the agricultural sector the mainstay of the Zambian economy over the next five years.

Siliya said that research and development would be her main aim in her serving term, so that the country can increase their economic earnings via agriculture.

“Most countries that have recorded significant agricultural development have invested heavily in research and development.”

In order to provide a platform for this development she said that the Ministry of Agriculture will modernise and revamp all the existing agricultural training institutions in order to carry out extensive research in agricultural development.