Zambia has a vast land for its population, and there are still plenty rooms to expand rice cultivation. However, to utilize the land effectively, it is critical to advance the mechanization. According to a survey conducted in the Luapula province, 76% of rice farmers answered that a large amount of labor is the greatest challenge in extending their rice farming area. A vast majority, 98% of them carries out all processes of rice production manually without any agricultural machines and has very limited idea about the mechanization: what machines are available for them, what benefit they would bring, how much they would cost, how the machines could be introduced, etc.
Market-Oriented Rice Development Project (MOReDeP), in cooperation with Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and Ministry of Agriculture, held events at Mongu in the Western province and at Mansa in the Luapula province to provide an opportunity with rice farmers to obtain such information. In addition to MOReDeP, machinery manufacturers including Honda Zambia, Saro Agro Industrial and Export Trading Group (ETG), and agro-dealers showcased various agricultural machines for rice production particularly for small scale rice farmers. While agricultural mechanization has a significant impact on boosting rice production, it cannot be advanced overnight due to various intertwined factors. In collaboration with commercial companies, MOReDeP will work on supporting the agricultural mechanization in rice production in Zambia.
