A Rice Stakeholder Forum was held at Mongu, bringing together a variety of stakeholders: representatives from farmers groups, rice buyers/brokers, whole and retail sellers, rice millers, seed companies and seed growers, other agricultural service and input providers, NGOs, and MoA officers. This forum served as a valuable opportunity for every stakeholder to deepen the understanding of current market trends and business chances but also to address and collectively overcome challenges in rice value chain (one of the topics was a shortage of rice seeds due to the drought and potential access to seeds in the coming farming season). Furthermore, it helped to forge vital business linkages with various actors in the value chain.
In parallel with this event, a Training of Trainers on market survey was conducted. The participated MoA officers and leader farmers not only had classroom lectures to acquire the knowledge but also practical sessions in the actual market in the Mongu town.
In Zambia Agriculture plays a key role of supporting industries by the production of the required raw materials , producing exportable agricultural goods, generating employment particularly in rural areas, as well as providing food stuffs essential for the sustenance of acceptable nutrition standards and levels.
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