• Government is urged to continue to encourage and empower farmers to practice climate-smart agriculture.
• Farmers can also be empowered with small irrigation equipment in order to build resilience.
• Small-scale farmers are contributing 96% to this year’s total crop production.

Policy Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC) has advised government to consider establishing an irrigation development fund that will comprehensively address the diverse needs of farmers in light of climate change effects to increase crop production and productivity.
Organization Acting Executive Director Sydney Mwamba told Money FM News that government must also expedite its efforts towards increasing hectarage under irrigation as doing so will enable the country to grow crops especially maize throughout the year for both local and export markets.
Mr. Mwamba further urged government to continue to encourage and empower farmers to practice climate-smart agriculture as well as empower them with small irrigation equipment in order to build resilience, especially for small-scale farmers who are contributing 96% to this year’s total crop production.
“In the 2018/2019 Agriculture Season’s Crop Forecast, results indicate that maize production declined from 2,394,907 metric tonnes in the 2017/2018 season to 2,004,389 metric tonnes in 2018/2019 accounting for a 16% decline in crop production due to climate change effects that led to prolonged dry spells.”
“The 2021/2022 farming season has experienced a similarly low yield in selected crops including maize due to continued climate variability. The country experienced delayed rainfall in most parts of the country with the planting season generally starting towards the end of December 2021 and the beginning of January 2022,” Mr. Mwamba noted.
He explained that although the reduction in maize production of maize might be attributed to the reduced area planted, it can also be due to delayed and low rainfall recorded in most parts of the country.
Mr. Mwamba further advised Government to take advantage of the already established Zambia National Service (ZNS) mechanized farms to embark on winter maize production for local and export markets to enable the country maximize Foreign Exchange Earnings.
“Despite having a surplus of 1.2 million MT of maize and a total accumulating figure of 4 million MT, there is a need for more production of maize. Besides these crops, the production of tubers like cassava and potatoes is expected to reduce and non-food crops such as cotton and tobacco will reduce,” he stated.
According to Agriculture Minister Reuben Phiri, the production of maize, millet, sorghum and rice has declined in the 2021/2022 Agricultural farming season.
Rice production is expected to decrease to 62,280 MT from 65,876 MT in the 2020/2021 season representing a 5.46% decline, Sorghum yield is expected to decline by 19.2% from 18,372 MT to 14,843MT, while millet is expected to decrease as well by 10,478MT in 2022 from 34,702MT in the previous season to 24,224 MT this season.