The Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has disclosed that since 2013, it has disbursed K314, 739, 195 towards agriculture.

And the commission says Zambian farmers have to start maximizing on their earnings by adding value to their produce and taking to the market finished products.

CEEC Director General Likando Mukumbuta says for local products to penetrate the international market and have a stranglehold on the region as a food basket, farmers need to do more than just produce raw products.

Mr. Mukumbuta says failure by farmers to add value to their products would result in farmers remaining in similar conditions for years where they cannot graduate from being small or emergent.

He says capacity building should be enhanced among farmers if Zambia wants to challenge big agricultural products suppliers such as South Africa.

Mr. Mukumbuta says the CEEC is supporting the creation of industrial yards where value addition to agro-commodities will be undertaken.

He intimates that the CEEC is supporting the transformation of aquaculture and cashew nut industry and envisage to create 150, 000 jobs by 2021.