JAPAN SIGNS $11MILLION AGREEMENT WITH ZAMBIA

Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary for Administration Yvonne Mpundu                        BY HAPPY MULOLANI
JAPANESE International Cooperation and Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Agriculture have signed an $11million (JPYI 1,590,000,000) Agreement to scale up rice interventions.
Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary for Administration Yvonne Mpundu appreciated Japan’s efforts and initiative of supporting the agriculture sector through the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), noting that the two countries enjoyed a cordial relationship over the years.
The project aims to improve the dissemination system of rice farming technologies and capacity for producing quality seeds at ZARI at Mansa Research Station, which is earmarked to run from December 2023 to December 2028.
Ms Mpundu said this initiative will see the construction of facilities and the procurement of equipment for the dissemination of rice farm technologies.
“The development of seed fields and irrigation facilities for the production of quality seeds, thereby contributing to increasing rice production in Zambia,” she said.
ZARI Director Dickson Nguni said the project will help support farmers and add value to the rice value chain.
Konoike Construction Project Manager Sadao Yamaoka assured the government that they are committed to delivering high quality infrastructure to support scientists and researchers.
“This project represents a significant step towards sustainable agriculture and food security in the country, ” Mr Yamaoka said.
He stated that this project was key in advancing agricultural research and improve rice seed production in Zambia.
“The pre-basic and basic seeds produced in the seed field developed during the life-span of the project will be a source of quality seeds which will be multiplied by seed farmers and also supplied to farmers,” Mr Yamaoka reiterated.
It is envisaged that once the technologies for and value chain for seed production are strengthened by training s to be provided by the project. It is expected that 40 percent of the rice farmers in the country will be able to use quality seeds for rice production. In this way, the impact of the rice project will be sustained. –NAIS