The third cassava cluster training in management was held in Serenje District in the Central Province of Zambia from 10-12 September 2012.
During the training the farmers were taught how to plan for their farming season with emphasis on the use of appropriate procedures and materials for their production.
Course facilitator, Jones Kalyongwe told farmers that it is very important that they treat their cassava cultivation as a business rather than a cultural practice. “You should treat cassava farming as a business from today onwards instead of thinking that this is just a way of life,” Mr Kalyongwe said.
Senior Chief Chitambo of the Lala people in the central province said COMESA has come into his chiefdom at the right time, as his subjects are very willing to produce more cassava than they have been producing in the past.
Chief Chitambo said that his chiefdom has no record of hunger or poverty as he has made sure that from the time he took over the throne he has encouraged the people in his chiefdom to embrace cassava farming.
“My Chiefdom knows no hunger, from the time I became chief 23 years ago, I have given land to all my people to cultivate food. I am glad COMEA is coming here will just help us to even do better,” he said.
He called on other chiefs in the province and the country at large to encourage their subjects to embrace cassava, as it is a crop that will save the country and the region from poverty.