ZASTA BACKS GROW ZAMBIA AGENDA, WARNS FERTILISER-ONLY APPROACH COULD UNDERMINE FOOD SECURITY

By Alain Kabinda

Zambia's ambition to transform agriculture into a major driver of economic growth and food security will require farmers to have access to more than fertiliser, the Zambia Seed Trade Association (ZASTA) has warned.

ZASTA President Patrick Nyumbu said that the success of the Grow Zambia Agenda will depend on improved farmer productivity, quality inputs and stronger collaboration between Government and the private sector.

Mr Nyumbu describes the Grow Zambia Agenda as “a step in the right direction”, saying the measurable production targets provide a clear framework for expanding agricultural production and developing Zambia's export potential.

“The Grow Zambia Agenda that has been spelled out by the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, is a step in the right direction and requires the private sector to step to the front and provide the execution engine that will make it a reality,” Mr Nyumbu said.

He said ZASTA is ready to partner with Government in achieving the targets because its membership includes seed companies supplying varieties required to support national crop production.

According to Mr Nyumbu, three of the key production targets under the Grow Zambia Agenda directly depend on the seed industry.

These are the production of 10 million metric tonnes of maize, three million metric tonnes of soyabeans and one million metric tonnes of wheat.

He said the targets demonstrate the importance Government has placed on agriculture, with five of the eight major targets coming from the sector.

“We welcome the political will and support of the overall agricultural sector as five out of eight targets are from the agriculture sector,” Mr Nyumbu said.

He said this signals an intention to use agriculture to diversify Zambia's export base while improving incomes for rural households and strengthening value chains.

Mr Nyumbu also points to Africa's food import bill, saying the continent spends more than US$100 billion on food imports despite having significant arable land and a young population.

He said increasing production could therefore contribute to improved food security while creating economic opportunities for farmers and businesses across the agricultural value chain.

ZASTA has also welcomed the Kenya maize export initiative, saying regional markets could help position Zambia as a reliable source of grain.

Mr Nyumbu added that agricultural exports require stronger alliances and supply chains that extend beyond national borders.

“The process of growing agricultural exports requires formation of alliances and supply chains beyond borders. This initiative is one such development,” he said.

He says successful regional trade could create additional markets for Zambian farmers while strengthening the country's position within the regional food supply chain.

However, ZASTA is raising concern over what it describes as a developing practice of farmers redeeming only fertiliser under the Government's e-voucher programme.

Mr Nyumbu said the practice could pose risks to both household and national food security and potentially undermine the production targets under the Grow Zambia Agenda.

“If a farmer only redeems fertilizer, it raises a question on how the fertilizer will be utilized without seeds,” he said.

He said the concern is that fertiliser accessed through the Government programme could end up being sold to dealers rather than applied to farmers' fields.

According to Mr Nyumbu, such a development could distort the agricultural input market and affect both the supply and demand sides.

He further warned that it could create conditions in which farmers turn to counterfeit or fake seed.

“The success of the Grow Zambia Agenda will require improvement of farmer production and productivity. This improvement cannot be achieved by fertilizer alone,” he said.

Mr Nyumbu said farmers who do not access certified seed may also end up using sub-standard varieties of unknown origin or characteristics, potentially affecting yields and overall productivity.

The seed industry is also urging farmers to consider climate conditions when selecting varieties for the coming farming season.

Mr Nyumbu said the anticipated El Niño conditions make it particularly important for farmers to use certified and climate-smart seed available on the market.

He says such varieties have been tested across different environments and seasons and include varieties bred for heat and drought tolerance.

“These varieties are tried and tested over wide-ranging environments and seasons in addition to being bred for heat and drought tolerance,” he said.

Mr Nyumbu said the use of appropriate seed could give farmers a better chance of obtaining reasonable harvests during seasons characterised by extreme weather.

The message from ZASTA is that Zambia's agricultural transformation will depend not only on setting ambitious production targets but also on ensuring that farmers have access to the right inputs to achieve them.

For the seed industry, fertiliser and seed should therefore be viewed as complementary components of agricultural production rather than separate interventions.

As Zambia seeks to increase maize, soyabean and wheat production and expand agricultural exports, ZASTA says partnerships between Government, farmers and private-sector input suppliers will be critical to translating the Grow Zambia Agenda from targets on paper into harvests in farmers' fields.