Farmers Need More Than Good Seed – Corteva

By Alain Kabinda 

For many farmers, the beginning of a new farming season starts with a familiar question: **Which seed should I buy?**

But as the planting season approaches, agricultural experts are increasingly pointing to another question that could be just as important: **What do I need to know before I put that seed into the ground?**

A farmer can buy certified, high-quality seed, prepare a field and invest in fertiliser, only to face a dry spell shortly after planting. Another farmer may choose a hybrid without fully understanding whether it is suitable for the local conditions.

Speaking at She Interprenuer 7th Conference in Lusaka Corteva Marketing and Brand Relationship Manager Ms. Deborah Tembo, these decisions demonstrate why farmers need more than agricultural inputs.

                       Ms. Deborah Temb 

“As we prepare for the farming season, there are important conversations that we need to have with farmers,” Ms.Tembo said.

She said that farmers should be equipped with practical information on when to plant, which varieties are appropriate for their areas and how to manage crops when conditions change.

“We need information. We need advice on the best farming practices. When do we plant? What do we do if we plant today and then experience a dry spell?” she said.

The image of farming often begins with a seed dropping into the soil.

But the outcome of that seed may depend on a series of decisions made before planting.

A farmer has to consider the timing of planting, the suitability of a particular hybrid, soil conditions, available inputs and the expected weather conditions.

These are questions that cannot be answered simply by buying a bag of seed.

Ms. Tembo argues that farmers need continuous access to professional advice so that they can make informed decisions throughout the production cycle.

This puts agricultural extension officers at the centre of the farming equation.

They are expected to translate technical agricultural knowledge into practical advice that farmers can understand and apply in their fields.

By sharing timely information on farming practices, weather-related risks, agricultural technologies and input quality, the media can help close the information gap between agricultural experts and farmers.

But even before farmers begin worrying about weather conditions, another threat may already be sitting in their hands.

Ms. Tembo warns that fake seed can turn a farmer's investment into a season of losses.

A farmer may spend money preparing land, buying fertiliser and paying for labour, only to discover later that the seed planted was not genuine.

“If we buy and plant counterfeit seed, we risk losing yields, losing income, or failing to attain the 10 million metric tonnes of maize production that the government has set for 2031,” she said.

For farmers who depend on agriculture for household income and food, such losses can be devastating.

This is why Ms. Tembo is urging farmers to carefully consider where they purchase their seed.

“Farmers in this room, please only buy from accredited agribusinesses,” she said.

Ms. Tembo said agro-dealers must also play their part by ensuring that counterfeit products do not enter the agricultural supply chain.

The battle against fake seed is therefore also a battle to protect farmers' investments, production and confidence in the agricultural sector.

Beyond seed and farming practices, Ms. Tembo's message also turns attention to another important part of Zambia's agricultural story: women.

Women already play significant roles across the agricultural value chain, from production and processing to trading and agribusiness.

Yet participation does not always translate into equal access to the resources needed to grow.

Ms Tembo said that women need access to technology, quality inputs, information, training, markets and leadership opportunities.

For her, supporting women should therefore go beyond discussions in boardrooms and become visible through practical opportunities.

“As Corteva, we remain committed to supporting women at every level of the agricultural value chain, from the women leading within our organisation to those outside the organisation,” she said.

“When women lead, communities thrive, and when women are empowered, we truly build a stronger future for all.” Ms. Tembo said.

The conversation about the coming farming season is ultimately about more than seed.

It is about whether farmers can access the right advice before making critical decisions, whether extension officers have the capacity to support them, whether agricultural information reaches them on time and whether the inputs they purchase are genuine.

It is also about ensuring that women have the resources and opportunities to participate meaningfully in the agricultural economy.

For Zambia's ambition to increase agricultural production to become reality, farmers will need more than promises of higher yields.

They will need the tools, information and support to make those yields possible.

And sometimes, the most important input a farmer can receive may not be found inside a seed bag.