By LAWRENCE KABUTU
Government has handed over 40 Mechanization Service Centres alongside sets of high tech agricultural equipment and machinery supported through the African Development Bank across 12 districts in Southern and North Western Provinces.
Agriculture Permanent Secretary for Administration Yvonne Mpundu, confirmed the development during the official handover and commissioning of Mechanization Service Centres across the 12 districts in the country held in Gwembe.
Mrs. MPUNDU says the handed over sets of high tech mechanization equipment and machinery in all the 12 districts includes tractors, Boom sprayers, and rippers among others.
The other equipment that is also aimed at improving efficiency at farm and enterprise level received by the districts are Shellers, Planters, and trailers among others. The Permanent Secretary said the Mechanization Service Centres have been handed over and commissioned under the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change (PIDACC) Zambezi basin project. She named the districts were the Mechanization Service Centres have been simultaneously handed over and commissioned in Southern Province as Chirundu, Siavonga, Sinazongwe, Gwembe, Livingstone, and Kazungula.
The hand over and commissioning of Service Centres with sets of agricultural equipment and machinery also included Northwestern Province districts where PIDACC is operating from namely; Ikelenge, Mwinilunga, Manyinga, Kabompo, Zambezi and Chavuma.
Ms Mpundu says Mechanization Service Centres are aimed at advancing the national target of establishing 696 centres countrywide by 2028.
She further said the interventions are expected to facilitate the mechanization of an additional 500,000 hectares of cultivated land by 2028.
‘’In 2024, government launched the national agricultural mechanization strategy, which provides a clear policy and implementation framework for scaling up mechanization services across the country. under this framework, the mechanize 360 campaign was rolled out, leading to the establishment of 50 mechanization service centres in 2024,’’ Said Mr. Mpundu
Mrs. MPUNDU started that the centres have already contributed to improved access to mechanization during the 2024/2025 farming window and have supported increased levels of production in several parts of the country.
‘’Building on this momentum, government accelerated the expansion of mechanization service centres in 2025. an additional 35 centres were established under government financing through the Zambia growth opportunity project,’’ said the Permanent Secretary.
And speaking on behalf of other District Commissioners, Gwembe District Commissioner, Killion CHIKANDULA says agricultural modernization through community Mechanization Service Centres will empower women and youths in fighting poverty at household level.
Mr. CHIKANDULA thanked government for dispatching high tech agricultural equipment and Machinery to districts along the Zambezi Basin under the PIDACC project. Meanwhile, PIDACC Project Coordinator Dr. Simunji SIMUNJI says the high tech equipment and machinery will support farmers livelihoods in crop production.
Dr. SIMUNJI called on farmers to use the equipment and machinery for the intended usage as the project will continue to bring other activities with the project areas to support agricultural development.
Speaking on behalf of other community Service Centres recipients, Beams MUSULUMBA a farmer is Gwembe district thanked the PIDACC Project for the establishment of three mechanization Service Centres in three wards in Gwembe.-NAIS
