Farmers in Eastern Province challenged to increase production of various crops.

Vice President Inonge Wina has called for increased production in various crops by farmers of Eastern Province.
The Vice President said this when she addressed Government officials and PF party cadres who thronged the Chipata airport to receive her yesterday.
Mrs. Wina indicated that there is need for farmers to double up the production of farming produce in the province in order to benefit the whole nation.
She said that she was aware that Eastern province is one of the leading contributors to the national food basket and that this was the reason why government wants to put hammer mills in provincial centres.
The vice president said that the move would also reduce the prices of mealie meal.
And the Vice President said that she was in Eastern Province to inspect various developmental projects which the government is undertaking.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni at his palace, Ms Wina also said that the country cannot develop without the participation of traditional leaders and pledged to continue working with them.
She said that she was happy that Chief Mpezeni was among the traditional leaders who was lobbying and fostering developmental projects.
And Ms. Wina said that her office had sent officers from Central Statistics Office around the country to conduct an assessment on the looming hunger in some parts of Zambia.
The vice president also emphasized that government would like to see paramount chiefs staying in habitable palaces.
Meanwhile Paramount Chief Mpezeni encouraged the Vice President to continue working hard and ensure that government completes developmental projects initiated by late president Michael Sata.
Chief Mpezeni also advised government against exporting maize stating that most of the people would suffer from hunger due to the poor rainfall experience during the last rainy season.