Annual report on Northern Rhodesia / Colonial Office.

  • Colonial Office
Date:
[1959]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Northern Rhodesia / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/150 page 8
    Farmers began the year financially at a low ebb as a result of the disastrous harvest of 1958. The better seasonal conditions of 1959 permit¬ ted some recovery, but there was a decline in prices for the main products. Maize, which had realised 41s. 6d. per bag of 200 lb. for the best grade in the previous season, fell to 36s. 9d. and grading was made more stringent in order to improve the standard of exports. Groundnuts bought by the Grain Marketing Board remained at 79s. per bag of 180 lb. kernels, but the return to the grower fell because of an increase in the cost of the locally made bag in which they are packed, while the selling price to consumers was raised from 85s. to 101s. to absorb the cost of imports which were necessary to meet the shortfall in the local crop. Prices for groundnuts exported from the Eastern Province remained good. More competitive conditions were experienced by flue-cured tobacco growers, and there was a marked fall in the prices on the Salisbury auction floors of some of the lower grades of leaf. The difficulties in cattle marketing caused by the abandonment of the informal agreement under which the butchers had purchased all slaughter stock offered at prices for weight and grade indicated by the Cattle Marketing and Control Board continued, and butchers bought only to meet day-to-day requirements. Arrangements for the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia to extend its facilities to this Territory were completed by the end of the year. Advisory services continued to be given to farmers. There were no significant changes in the establishments employed, and the reductions made in the services to African agriculture by the Northern Rhodesia Government as a result of financial stringency in 1958 remained in force. There was a marked upsurge of interest in agricultural services by the native authorities, and during the latter part of the year a number of requests were made to the newly formed Ministry of African Agriculture by the Provincial Administration for additional services, most of which could not be met in full because of staff shortages. Government schemes for improved farming and peasant farming made excellent progress, and a comprehensive regional planning scheme was begun in a densely settled valley in the main African maize-producing area. Research services carried out at the Central Agricultural Experiment Station at Mount Makulu near Lusaka also made good progress. The Chief Research Officer was appointed by the Federal Government to be a member of the newly constituted Agricultural Research Council, and the Soils Chemist joined the Federal delegation to the Inter-African Soils Conference held at Dulaba. AFRICAN EDUCATION In March, 1959, the Ministry of African Education was created and absorbed the old African Education Department. The Honourable G. M. Musumbulwa became the first Minister.
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