• Total amount of the agriculture sector program financing over 2022 to 2026 period is expected to be K42.89 billion
• Aggregate public spending on the Government program including livestock and fisheries over fiscal years 2018 to 2022 amounted to K48.49 billion.
• For livestock and fisheries Calendar years programme, which correspond to Zambian fiscal years, amounted to K44.14 billion

A World Bank Report has revealed that total amount of the agriculture sector program financing over 2022 to 2026 period is expected to be K42.89 billion of which 83.1 percent will be financed by Government and 16.9 percent by World Bank’s International Development Association credit.
According to World Bank International Development Association Program Appraisal Document, for Zambia Growth Opportunities Program for Results report, aggregate public spending on the Government program including livestock and fisheries over fiscal years 2018 to 2022 amounted to K48.49 billion.
The report indicates that for livestock and fisheries Calendar years programme, which correspond to Zambian fiscal years, amounted to K44.14 billion and averaged K8.83 billion per annum.
“If spending levels of the two previous fiscal years are continued under the Poverty and Inequality Platform. The IDA credit will fund US$295 million, or about US$59 million per year assuming equal disbursements. It will bring the total financing at ZMW 42.89 billion, or equal disbursements of US$347 million per year for 2022-2026,” The report said.
According to the report, the numbers do not reflect the normal level of agricultural expenditures because they are biased towards very high expenditure levels in 2020 and 2021 election year, driven largely by the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and to lesser extent, the Food Reserve Agency.
The report further stated that Zambian food systems could be further affected by ongoing shocks to the global energy and fertilizer markets.
The war in Ukraine is expected to significantly affect energy and fertilizer prices in Zambia.
“High fuel prices are expected to increase transport costs throughout food systems, while increasing fertilizer prices could have negative impact on crop yields, although in smallholder sector the yields have been historically driven largely by rainfall patters,” it said.
“There is a risk of high inflation due to increased prices of import commodities and stability of the Kwacha in general. This could increase cost of food, which may increase the number of people facing hunger. Zambia currently imports between 50- 90 metric tons of wheat grain per year. While these trends could present additional risks to the macroeconomic stability, they could also work to strengthen the current momentum around agriculture reform package, such as reform of fertilizer support program and re-balancing agriculture budget towards growth and job creating spending programs, which would mitigate downside risks,” it added.