GROW ZAMBIA: 500,000 HECTARES TARGETED FOR IRRIGATION TO REDUCE RAINFALL DEPENDENCE

By PenjaniNzima

Zambia istargeting 500,000 hectares of land under irrigation in a major agriculturaldrive aimed at reducing farmers’ dependence on rainfall, strengthening climateresilience and creating new opportunities for inclusive economic growth.

Theirrigation ambition featured in President Hakainde Hichilema’s address duringthe opening of the First Session of the 14th National Assembly in Lusaka, underthe theme “Grow Zambia: An Agenda for Inclusive Growth and Opportunity forEvery Zambian.”

Theinitiative seeks to strengthen agricultural production by helping farmersovercome the limitations of rain-fed farming, which leaves harvests vulnerableto droughts, delayed rainfall and changing weather patterns.

Expanding irrigation could enable farmers to produce more reliably throughout the year, support crop diversification and create opportunities for increased investment in agricultural value chains.

The President outlined ambitious national production targets of 10 million metric tonnes of maize, three million metric tonnes of soya beans, one million metric tonnes of wheat and one million tonnes of sugar.

He alsoreported that maize production had reached a record 5.1 million metric tonnesin the previous farming season, congratulating farmers on the achievement.

To advancethe agricultural agenda, Government intends to strengthen extension services,expand access to affordable financing and accelerate the development of farmblocks and agro-processing hubs.

Improvedaccess to modern storage facilities and markets will also be important inreducing post-harvest losses and helping farmers obtain better value from theirproduce.

The diversification drive extends to strategic agricultural products such as avocados and berries, creating potential opportunities for farmers and agribusiness investors.

However, bringing 500,000 hectares under irrigation will require sustained investment in water infrastructure, affordable irrigation technologies, reliable energy and financing mechanisms that enable smallholder farmers to participate.

Under the Grow Zambia agenda, irrigation is more than an agricultural intervention; it is an opportunity to make farming more resilient, productive and inclusive.

The ultimatetest will be whether the investment translates into more reliable harvests,stronger household incomes, increased agribusiness activity and economicopportunities reaching farmers across the country.

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