Increasing the Climate Resilience and Productivity of Emerging Farmers in Zambia

In Zambia, agriculture is a key employment sector and one that is essential to local food security. However, emerging farmers are facing many challenges, including fall armyworm threatening their fields, climate variabilities and poor agricultural productivity.

Global Communities, Corteva Agriscience, John Deere and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partnered in 2020 with the goal of ultimately increasing the productivity and improving the sustainable farming practices of 10,000 emerging farmers, 30 percent of whom are women.  

“Access to finance is a binding constraint for the agriculture sector. The Emerging Farmers Partnership is removing this impediment by linking emerging farmers to private-sector partners, Corteva Agriscience and John Deere for input and equipment loans, respectively,” explains Kevin Kabunda, Chief of Party at Global Communities Zambia.

“Our program is ‘future forward’ in that this finance will enable emerging farmers to increase their resilience to climate change and other shocks through adoption of improved technologies.”

Kevin Kabunda, Chief of Party, Global Communities Zambia

Emerging farmers are not only being trained in agricultural skills but also market-based business approaches to determine the viability and profitability of their farming enterprises and preparing them for long-term success.

As of early 2022, 369 emerging farmers (10 percent of whom are women) have already participated in business skills training support through the partnership. In addition, 17 emerging farmers who are also agro-entrepreneurs have received consignment loans for inputs such as seeds and crop protection products like herbicide and pesticide (valued at $991,298). The project has also provided a $27,000 loan for mechanization to a woman emerging farmer for the purchase of a tractor to advance her business.   

“Our program is ‘future forward’ in that this finance will enable emerging farmers to increase their resilience to climate change and other shocks through adoption of improved technologies such as Corteva’s hybrid and drought-resistant seed, improved practices and productive assets,” says Kabunda. “The project trains the farmers by providing business and Integrated Pest Management/safer use skills for crop protection products. This is in addition to promoting improved practices such as conservation farming to preserve the integrity of the crops, soil and climate.”

Meet A Few of Our Emerging Farmers

Christine Daka is an emerging farmer and agro-entrepreneur of Petauke district who owns 43 hectares of land and cultivates 33 hectares. She has participated in the Emerging Farmers Partnership business skills training and has been able to develop and submit the first copy of her business plan, which is currently being reviewed by Global Communities staff. Christine has been operating her agro shop since 2008. She started with one bag of SeedCo maize brand but is now stocking Corteva Agriscience for Pannar and Pioneer hybrid seeds. Due to her good credit history with Corteva, Christine is looking to acquire a John Deere tractor in the coming season.

Through his participation in farming training, Lincoln has been learning how to apply lime, maize spacing and ripping in his field and is currently developing his business plan. Here, Lincoln poses in his maize field after having sprayed recommended agro-chemicals for the fall armyworm that attacked part of his land. He has also been linked to Corteva agronomists for further extension support services.

Lincoln Mumba is a 28-year-old emerging farmer of Petauke district. He is among the first cohorts of emerging farmers trained in business skills aimed at building capacity in approaching farming as a business and managing agricultural-related risks. Today, Lincoln owns 33 hectares of farmland. During the 2021-2022 season, he cultivated 31 hectares of hybrid maize consisting of Pannar and Pioneer seed.

Million attended the EFP’s three-day business training in September 2021. He gained meaningful business management knowledge and skills and successfully completed a business plan that will help facilitate market linkages and access to finance.

Through their participation in business trainings, 369 emerging farmers have been able to develop strong business plans to determine the viability and profitability of their farming enterprises. They have also presented their plans to showcase how they run their agro-businesses, what their expenses/costs and revenue projections are, and how they want to source short- and long-term financing from potential financiers. After participating in business trainings, some emerging farmers are using what they have learned to engage private sector seed companies in business transactions.

Caroline Mwela recently accessed a $27,000 loan from John Deere for the purchase of a tractor. She owns 80 hectares of farmland and currently cultivates 30 of those hectares. Caroline plans to settle the balance for her tractor by July 2022.

The USAID Emerging Farmers Partnership (EFP) first met Million Simbeleko during a Field Day that was hosted at his farm in Luano district by Corteva Agriscience, Central Province in May 2021. He owns 80 hectares of land and cultivates 45 hectares. After that event, Million enrolled in the project and has both attended and hosted various training sessions and meetings, where he shares crop protection practices and safe use of pesticides with other emerging farmers.

This content is part of Future Forward, a thought leadership and storytelling series on how Global Communities is driving change to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. To learn more, visit globalcommunities.org/futureforward.