Zambia Agriculture Research Institute

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Zambia Agriculture Research Institute - ZARI ZARI is a public institution mandated to conduct public good agricultural research in soils and crops

[Market Oriented Rice Development project (MOReDeP)] Project Information – Part.2: RICE RESEARCH - Developing cultivation techniques favorable to various ecologies

Higher Productivity is the focus of the activity. The productivity of rice production in Zambia is 1.20 ton/ha (FAO2019), which is quite low, even comparing to other African countries not very actively producing rice. Low productivity is not because the natural environment is not suitable for rice production. The basic cultivation and harvest/post-harvest processing techniques practiced by farmers are the problem. For the improvement of productivity, while supporting the ZARI and developing its rice research capacity, MOReDeP researches to find solutions to the problems and develops a rice production techniques package that is flexible and favorable to the various ecologies in Zambia. The main research themes include cultivation technology, harvest/post harvest, seed production, mechanization and variety/breeding.

Click on the link below for more detail:
https://www.jica.go.jp/project/english/zambia/022/news/general/220104.html

The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute -ZARI has developed the first ever fall army worm tolerant variety of maize seed.
The development will help the government to spend less on procuring chemicals to fight army worms.
ZARI Senior Agriculture Research Officer LUTANGU MAKWETI, who is based at Msekera Research Station in Chipata, says the new seed is medium maturing and is also good for places like Eastern Province.
Mr MAKWETI said this during a seed fare organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and GIZ held in Chipata yesterday.
And Chipata District Administrative Officer KAPEMBWA SIKAZWE urged farmers to plant certified seeds only.

[Market Oriented Rice Development project (MOReDeP)] Project Information – Part.1

Rice is becoming an important crop for Zambia since consumption is rapidly increasing, particularly in urban areas. The domestic production is 29,600 tons, which covers only half of the domestic demand (FAO2019), and the shortfall is imported from neighbor countries and Asia. To enhance food security, the Zambian government positions rice as an important cash crop and a strategic crop for "Crop Diversification", aiming at diversifying the cropping system that is extremely dependent on maize.

Against the background, MoA/ZARI and JICA started its 6-year joint project called “Market Oriented Rice Development project (MOReDeP)” in 2019. The purpose of the project is to promote rice cultivation as a cash crop in Zambia, which would contribute to increasing the domestic rice production and supporting the government’s policy on the crop diversification. For this purpose, MOReDeP mainly conducts 1) researching and developing rice cultivation techniques that are flexible and favorable to various ecologies in Zambia, 2) formulating "Rice Clusters" while conducting extension activities to spread the use of the techniques across farmers, and 3) enhancing farmers' knowledge and business skills to improve their income by selling produced rice.

Click on the link below for more detail:
https://www.jica.go.jp/project/english/zambia/022/outline/index.html

The Guest of Honor planting an Avocado tree during the Celebration of International Day of Plant Health, at Mt. Makulu, on 12th May 2022

The Chilanga District DC who was guest of Honor gracing the celebration of International Day of Plant Health. Here he can be seen accompanied by the PQPS Director Dr. K.K. Msiska touring the exhibitions at Mt. Makulu Research Station in Chilanga.

Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Department Joined the rest of the World in Celebrating the International Day of Plant Health which falls on 12th May annually.