State launches US$29.7m E-SAAP project

GOVERNMENT has launched the Enhanced Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (E-SAPP) which seeks to directly benefit 61,000 households in rural areas.

And Government says it attaches great importance towards improving not only the agricultural sector, through sustainable agribusiness agenda, but also improving the livelihoods of the people particularly in rural areas.

Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya said government has made agriculture a key driver of the economic growth, rural poverty reduction and expansion of consumer demand.

Ms Siliya said this yesterday in Lusaka in a speech read by Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa during the launch of the E-SAPP.

She stated that the newly launched E-SAAP that runs from 2016-2023 was jointly supported by the Zambian government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

“Government’s contribution through forgone taxes is about US$2m, IFAD’s contribution is US$22.2, loan facility and grant of about US$1mhile other partners which include the private sectors will contribute US$3.4m among others,” she explained.

Ms Siliya said the E-SAAP project will increase the volume and value of agribusiness output sold by smallholder producers through enabling environment for agribusiness development growth and sustainable agribusiness partnerships.

She disclosed that the project target to directly benefit 61,000 households and a total project cost is US$29.7 Million.

eased private sector participation in service delivery such as input, supply, and output marketing and agro-processing.

And speaking earlier at the same event, IFAD country director Abla Benhammouche thanked government for having constituted a core team that designed E-SAPP process.

Ms Benhammouche said this was unprecedented demonstrating that Zambia and IFAD were able to work towards reducing poverty among small scale farmers.

She added that the E-SAAP was also targeting to benefit a total of 40,000 subsistence farmers through the development and implementation of agribusiness and development strategy.

Ms Benhammouche further disclosed that the project’s objective was to contribute to climate resilient development through enhancing the adaptive capacity of the MSMEs to build a sustainable and climate resilient agri-business sector.