GO FOR LUCRATIVE CROPS, PROFESSOR NKANDU LUO TELLS FARMERS

By SILUMESI MALUMO GOVERNMENT has encouraged farmers to grow lucrative crops such as pasture crops. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Professor Nkandu Luo says farmers who would be involved in growing pasture crops would be able to make enough money by selling to farmers rearing livestock to be used as feed. She says it was important that farmers do not only concentrate on maize growing because crops like pasture crops would make them wealthy. Speaking when she empowered 22 cooperatives in Mwinilunga, the minister said farmers involved in rearing livestock would be able to buy pasture crops at a good price. Meanwhile the minister warned cooperatives benefiting from livestock empowerment against abuse of tax payer’s money. Prof Luo said the money being used to buy livestock being given to them was from the tax payer’s money, therefore, it was important that the livestock was used for its intended purpose. She said Government would not allow cooperatives to sell them. “I don’t want also to see that these chickens are put in the pot. I need this livestock to bring you more income,” she said.