Zambia has been chosen by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) secretariat for initiation of an agricultural development program aimed at exploring the country's agricultural potentials, local media reported on Tuesday.

COMESA senior agricultural advisor Chris Muyunda was cited by The Post as saying Zambia's selection was due to its high potential in agriculture particularly in irrigation.

Zambia is endowed with abundant water resources, both surface and underground, which are estimated to be about 40 percent of all fresh water in the southern Africa.

"Zambia is really a great choice for irrigated agriculture. It's central location, surrounded by eight countries means that it can easily be used as a distribution hub of its products in the region," Muyunda said.

"We think that Zambia can contribute significantly if the development of agriculture was pursued in a more dedicated manner, " he added.

Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) will assist the Zambian government, private sector and other stakeholders to identify the gaps that are currently missing in Zambia's agricultural portfolio, Muyunda said.

The World Bank, the African Development Bank and other cooperating partners are also expected to come onboard in assisting the program, he added.

Source: Xinhua