Govt claims over 1,100 farmers have benefited from Zambia’s mechanization programme

The government has claimed that about 1,167 farmers have accessed mechanization services, reportedly marking a significant step in enhancing agricultural productivity and moving closer to achieving Zambia’s target of one million tonnes in crop production.

Ministry of Agriculture Principal Public Relations Officer, Bhalewa Zyuulu claimed that since the launch of the Mechanize 360 Programme in October last year, the initiative had benefited 1,167 farmers, including 842 men, 257 women, and 68 youths.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, Zyuulu claimed that the programme had mechanized 3,057.17 hectares of smallholder farmland across all ten provinces, improving efficiency in land preparation, crop management, and production capacity.

He noted that ploughing had been carried out on 1,668.71 hectares, while ripping covered 414.68 hectares.

Additionally, harrowing had been applied to 921.89 hectares, and ridging was implemented on 51.90 hectares.

Zyuulu emphasized that these efforts were expanding cultivated land and ensuring that more farmers could prepare their fields on time, ultimately enhancing productivity.

He added that the adoption of mechanized seedbed preparation, planting, weeding, and pest control would also enable mechanized harvesting, reducing post-harvest losses and further boosting production.

Beyond land preparation, the program is also reportedly promoting value addition by encouraging farmers to process their crops within farming communities.

Farmers have been urged to take their maize and sunflower to mechanization centers of excellence for milling into mealie meal and producing cooking oil.

This, Zyuulu explained, would not only enhance food security and nutrition at the household level but also increase income generation, making agriculture more attractive to women and youth.

Zyuulu reaffirmed the Ministry of Agriculture’s commitment to positioning Zambia as a regional leader in agricultural production, ensuring food security, and empowering farmers through modernized, innovative farming solutions.

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