2026 harvest must be protected, strong climate risk ahead-By Kelvin Chisanga

Zambia’s strong agricultural performance must be protected through deliberate investments in climate resilience, especially as forecasts point to the possibility of future El Niño-related weather disruptions. Agriculture remains a key pillar of Zambia’s economy, supporting millions of livelihoods, enhancing food security and contributing to export earnings. While recent harvests have strengthened national food stocks and helped stabilize the economy, the threat of droughts, erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells associated with El Niño cannot be ignored.

The experience of previous droughts showed how vulnerable rain-fed agriculture remains to climate shocks. Government, private sector players, and development partners must therefore accelerate investments in irrigation systems, climate-smart farming practices, drought-tolerant seed varieties and water harvesting infrastructure. Strengthening agricultural insurance and early warning systems will also help farmers better manage climate-related risks.

Protecting today’s agricultural gains is not merely a farming issue; it is an economic necessity. A resilient agricultural sector will help maintain food security, stabilize prices, support rural incomes and sustain Zambia’s broader economic growth and diversification agenda. The time to prepare for future climate challenges is now, while production remains strong. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.