Agriculture Minister, Phiri, outlines irrigation expansion plans following devastating drought

He made these remarks while delivering a speech on behalf of President Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday at the 49th Session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, held under the theme “From Farm to Market: Investing with Young Entrepreneurs,” with a focus on the challenges posed by global climate change. He highlighted the Agriculture Transformation Support Programme, which sought to improve the effectiveness of public expenditure, strengthen social and environmental safeguards, and upgrade infrastructure for production, processing, and trade. The Minister emphasized that government policies were aligned with specific production targets in key value chains, including the goal of producing 10 million metric tonnes of maize and one million metric tonnes each of soybeans and wheat by 2030.

Addressing the severe drought experienced during the 2023/2024 farming season, Phiri outlined ongoing efforts under the National Irrigation Programme, which aimed to bring 500,000 hectares of land under irrigation. This initiative includes private sector involvement in developing irrigation schemes, rehabilitating dams, and establishing irrigated farms. He also underscored progress in training farmers in climate-smart agricultural technologies to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate change.

Furthermore, he reiterated government’s dedication to supporting young entrepreneurs in agro-processing, research, and development. Recognizing the UN-declared Year of the Woman Farmer, Phiri acknowledged the central role of women in agriculture and called for targeted policy reforms to address persistent gender inequalities. 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.