Author: bongohive - Zambia Seed Company Limited (Zamseed)

Zamseed Donates Maize to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services

Zamseed donated 2.5 metric tones of maize seed to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services. The timely donation which came during the farming season is intended to supplement the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable beneficiaries.

Handing over the donation was Zamseed’s Business Development Manager Nokuthula Ndhlovu, accompanied by the Marketing Manager Zack Musonda. Receiving the donation on behalf of the Ministry was the Hon Minister, Mulenga Kampamba.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Hon Minister said, “The 2.5 metric tonnes donation will benefit 1,250 farming households and will go a long way in improving livelihoods. The gesture will also go a long way in improving national development.”

Zamseed’s maize donation falls under the Social Protection Programme, specifically, the Food Security Pack Programme implemented by the government of Zambia. The programme is aimed at ensuring food security at household level through provision of farming inputs to vulnerable but viable farmers.

Hon. Minister Mulenga Kampamba also reflected on Zamseed’s previous donation of vegetable seeds to Matero After Care, an organization under the purview of his ministry. She commended Zamseed for its continued contributions towards improving the lives of marginalized populations in Zambia.

Furthermore, the Hon. Minister echoed sentiments by the Republican President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu on the tremendous contributions towards economic development made by the seed industry, calling the sector a “self-sufficient and export-oriented one.”

BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes

ZAMBIA could become the first country in Africa to be a self-sufficient wheat producer following a new high yielding wheat variety which has been developed by Zamseed.

The new variety called Harrier, is tolerant to Zambian wheat’s four main disease risks: leaf rust, powdery mildew, septoria and bacterial leaf streak.

With imports disrupted due to Covid-19, increasing local supplies of staple crops is vital to meet food needs, says Zamseed’s Director of Research, Bhola Verma.

Dr Verma explained that the variety was a unique breakthrough for wheat yields and was developed in Zambia to respond to the country’s commercial farmers’ modern techniques.

“Zambian farmers are very ambitious yield wise. Farmers use high inputs with efficient centre pivots, they needed a higher-yielding crop suited to these optimal management conditions,” he said in a statement at the weekend.

Zambia has a wheat shortfall of around 100,000 tonnes to import as the country needs 400,000 tonnes to be self-sufficient.

Dr Verma stressed that an increase in wheat yields through the introduction of varieties together with top farming techniques, was key to reducing and potentially eliminating this shortfall and enabling Zambia to become self-sufficient in wheat.

“A yield potential of over ten tonnes per hectare is seldom even seen or talked about in the tropical or semi-tropical world – but Zambian farmers are of high calibre and this seed gives them the means to achieve even better results,” Dr Verma said.

Liam Franklin, a farmer based in Lusaka Province, described Harrier as a low risk, high yielding variety with strong disease tolerance.

“It is the way forward for me,” Mr Franklin said.

Morris Chivundu, a Zambian wheat farmer, affirmed the positive benefits of planting Harrier.

“The variety has huge potential. The more people who are trying it the more they are increasing their hectarage of Harrier. It is a very good variety,” Mr Chivundu said.