The minister of Agriculture Reuben Mtolo phiri has emphasized the need to help the small scale farmers that lack support to help them grow cassava.
Mr. Phiri disclosed that government is concerned with the advent effects of the cassava brown streak disease that has no cure and that the study is welcome as it is helping farmers to find ways of mitigating the effects of the disease.
He said the recent appeals from farmers across the nation reveals the impact of the spread of the diseases and that the stakeholders should make sure that they take into account the adopted means to safeguard the cassava plant from the diseases and planting CBSD resistance plants.
The minister further said that government is committed to help curb the CBSD in the country.
And Center for agriculture and bioscience international regional representative for southern Africa, Mr. Noah Phiri said that the importance of the gathering was to come up with measures on how to safeguard the Cassava Brown Streak Disease that has affected plants in Northern Provence and Luapula provinces.
He reminded that cassava is the second most consumed staple food Northern, Western and Luapula provinces of the country.
