PRESIDENT HICHILEMA TO UNVEIL THE ZAMBIA MECHANIZATION POLICY DOCUMENT IN FEBRUARY

 Agriculture Minister, Ruben Mtolo says Agricultural Mechanization is the key enabler to the country’s vision to hit 10-million metric tons of maize production by 2027.  

Speaking when he graced the Limani Muwine tractor handover ceremony by Corteva Agro Science Zambia today, Mr Mtolo says the attainment of this goal calls for increased productivity and a renewed focus on the adoption of sustainable farming practices.

Mr Mtolo has acknowledged that many farmers are unable to access appropriate and affordable mechanization equipment and services. 

"Agricultural mechanization has multiple benefits such as proper land preparation, right spacing for the required plant population, proper fertilization and accurate and safe application of Agrochemicals," Mr Mtolo said.

"A modern and mechanised agriculture sector is, therefore, a key enabler to improve yields from the current average of 2 metric tonnes per hectare to the desired average of more than 7 metric tonnes per hectare."

At the same event the Minister announced that in February this year, President Hakainde Hichilema will be unveiling the Zambia Mechanization Policy document. 

"We as the government have put forward some plans and ideas of what we could like to do on mechanization or agriculture in Zambia. In each province we are going to have a centre of excellence where we put tractors, ploughs planters boom sprayers and all the equipment that goes with a tractor. These equipment will not be for hiring out [but] they will be for teaching people, reactivating the knowledge that we learn at NRDC and Monze College of Agriculture etc so that we get back the thoughts of using machinery on our farms," he said.

He said, "our dream is that in each district we should have at least six mechanization centres to have the value to achieve the 10-million metric tonnes of maize production by 2027.

Meanwhile, Mr Mtolo has hailed Corteva Agro Science Zambia for running a promotion dubbed Limani Muwine whose grand prize is a modern 50 Horsepower tractor won by a farmer of Mwinilunga district Lastone Kamangala.

"This tractor will catalyse positive change in the recipient farmers' practises and by extension, his entire community. Let me also acknowledge and applaud Corteva for their broad and effective support to farmers since the inception of this program in October 2023," the Minister said.

Speaking earlier Ministry Director of Seed Control and Certification Institute Francesco Miti bemoaned the country’s low production of maize per per-hectare averaging about 2 tonnes.

"Our production of about 2 metric tons per hectare as average is very very low. It means we are not applying best practices for maize production. There is something wrong we are doing because, with most of our varieties, we are supposed to yield over 200 by 50-kilogram bags per hectare," he said.

And CORTEVA Agro-science Managing Director Samson Nyendwa assured the company’s commitment to supporting the government’s goal of achieving 10-million-metric tons of maize production by 2027 saying it will continue working with the extension officers to help farmers adopt good agricultural practices to increase productivity.

He also pledged that the firm will continue supplying superior products on the market.

"Corteva agri science remains steady fast in supporting the government's ambitious goal of achieving ten million metric tons of maize production by 2027 and we are equal to the task to ensure that the government works and achieves that target," he said

He noted that "there are a number of things out to be done in order for that to be achieved. We can achieve that target if we work together, so Corteva Agri Science, the company behind two top seed brands that is the Pannar seeds and the Pioneer seed brand is committed and will continue to work collaboratively with government extension officers on the ground to make sure that we can help the farmers adopt the best agronomic practises that will enhance the productivity that we so desire."

"And so my company will continue to provide superior products on the markets but provision of these superior genetic products is one thing and ensuring that farmers have attained the yield potential of our superior genetics seeds is yet another thing. And so we need to do a little bite that ensures that with the superior genetics and superior product we provide on the market the farmers can attain the yield potential that we desire. One of the key ingredients to the attainment of yield potential is the adoption of best agricultural practices. Many of our farmers have not adopted the best agricultural practises and as such we are still oscillating around 2 metric tonnes per hectare yield when our potential can exceed let's say 10 hectares."

And speaking in an interview with journalists after the event, the Agriculture Minister attributed the mealie meal shortage in parts of Eastern Province to insufficient maize sales to the Food Reserve Agency-FRA by farmers in the area. 

Mr Mtolo revealed that F-R-A only managed to purchase 17 thousand metric tons of maize from the province, which he said has contributed to the current shortage of mealie meal in most parts of the province.

"The Eastern province only sold 17 thousand metric tons of maize to the Food Reserve Agency and thats the province where we have been buying hundreds of thousands of metric tons of maize through FRA. Today you go to Mabwe, Lundazi, Chipata and Petauke there is the problem of mealie," he noted.

"If we had sold sufficient maize to the Agency we would have sufficient maize to release to market for community sales and to the miller so that the price could come down."

He has emphasized that if farmers had sold more maize to F-R-A, the government could release an ample supply to the market, reducing commodity prices. 

Mr. Mtolo says there is a need for farmers to sell their maize in a structured manner to other countries to avoid the price of staple food from escalating on local the market.

He has also insisted on the need for the country to upscale its maize production to address the continued rise in the price of mealie meal.