By Josiah Mpofu
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Market Oriented Rice Development project (MOReDeP) has engaged over 17,000 farmers in rice production. The project which seeks to promote rice cultivation as a cash crop in Zambia, has so far put 3000 hectares under cultivation since its inception.
Agriculture Permanent Secretary for technical services John Mulongoti said the move by JICA resonates with government’s determination to utilize rice as a key crop in Zambia’s crop diversification agenda. Mr. Mulongoti noted that the efforts by JICA are steadily transforming Zambia’s rice sector and contributing to the Country’s Gross Domestic product- GDP. He said government is improving rice seed varieties and enhancing farmers’ knowledge as well as business skills to improve their income by selling produced rice. Mr. Mulongoti revealed that government has embarked on an ambitious go to double rice production by 2030 to meet the Coalition For African Rice Development –CARD- Phase 2 initiative. “The demand for rice is steadily rising across Sub-Saharan Africa, this is due to the rapid Growth of urban population and changing Dietary Patterns. In response to this demand, Zambia has committed to an ambitious goal to double rice production by 2030 as part of the Coalition For African Rice Development –CARD- Phase 2 initiative. This strategic partnership aims to elevate rice production across the continent and position it as a key crop for food security and economic development,” revealed Mr. Mulongoti. Mr. Mulongoti indicated that Zambia’s involvement in CARD 2 reflects its desire not only to increase rice supply but also to develop a competitive sustainable rice industry that can meet both domestic and regional needs. He thanked JICA for its effort in improving rice production in Zambia through both technical and Financial support. “We thank JICA for its wavering support over the years as it has been a key partner in Zambia’s efforts in improving rice production by providing both technical and Financial support to build necessary systems for success of projects such as the MOReDeP project,” Indicated Mr. Mulongoti.
And Ministry’s Principal Extension officer Monica Mulenga noted that the project has helped to develop sustainable rice farming clusters aimed at producing quality rice. Ms Mulenga added that the project has helped to link smallholder farmers to better markets and assist them in seeing rice not as a subsistence, but instead a lucrative crop. “MOReDeP seeks to minimize over-reliance on public extension services to a more market driven approach that aims to motivate farmers by demonstrating the profitability of rice production. The project also has helped to link smallholder farmers to better market opportunities and providing them with knowledge and skills to improve yields. The project has equally empowered farmers not to see rice as a subsistence crop, but as a lucrative crop,” said Ms Mulenga.
And JICA Representative Jotaro Tateyama has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to implement rice initiatives that will improve the resilience of Zambia’s rice value chain. Mr Tateyama said the project has produced 4 rice varieties which will go a long way in increasing rice production in Zambia. As government intends to increase rice production from the current 25,000 to over 93,000 metric tonnes by 2026 these and more interventions are required to boost the sector’s performance.
-NAIS
