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Ellen Chasokela Herald Reporter

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement requires at least $14 billion for the 2020 fiscal year.

This came out on Friday when the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mr Ringson Chitsiko, appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Climate, Water and Rural Resettlement chaired by Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena, for the pre-budget consultative meeting.

Present at the meeting were heads of parastatals which fall under the ministry.

Mr Chitsiko said the expenditure ceiling was $1,6 billion, while the variance was $12,6 billion.

“Integrated water resources management requires $7,3 billion, policy and administration requires $4,5 billion, animal production, health extension and advisory services need $769 million, agricultural education requires $23 million and crop and livestock production extension and advisory services need $355 million.

“Crop and livestock research and technology development requires $80 million, land survey and mapping need $146 million, weather, climate and seismology services require $124 million, lands resettlement and security of tenure require $400 million and agricultural engineering and farm infrastructure development requires $509 million.

“The estimated revenue for the ministry is $62 million. The sources of these revenue are water levies, agriculture revolving fund fees and fines, fees from leases and rentals under the lands and resettlement fund, fees from the meteorological services fund and fees from leases and rentals from the land compensation fund.’’

Mr Chitsiko said some of the target areas for the 2020 fiscal year included constructing 10 dams, developing a national framework for climate services, issuing 200 offer letters, twenty  99-year leases and 1 500 A1 permits and conduct five pests and disease surveillance for crop and livestock.

“We want to rehabilitate 10 000 hectares and develop 2 000 hectares of irrigation schemes and we have rehabilitated 8 500 hectares and developed 750 hectares of irrigation schemes,” he said.

“We are also targeting to develop two enabling agricultural sector and sub-sector policies. On the construction of dams we have two dams and water conveyance systems near completion.

“We have work on progress to develop an agricultural information management system and to develop and implement an electronic import and export permit management system.”