Zambia’s Wheat Revolution: Aiming For 1 Million Tonnes by 2027

The Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) has revealed that the Government is concentrating on research and multiplication programs for two wheat varieties, Thyethye and Mpeta. These varieties are well-suited for rain-fed conditions and small-scale farming. 

Jones Shimbela, the Delivery Manager for Efficient Value Chains at the PDU, is encouraging small-scale farmers to engage in wheat production for crop diversification and increased profits. During a progress report on variety multiplication at the PDU offices in Lusaka, Mr. Shimbela emphasized that wheat farming was lucrative due to a readily available market for the grain, even in its raw form.

Bathsheba Tembo, Principal Research Officer at the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), stressed the need for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to establish sustainable markets to incentivize farmers to participate in wheat production.

Kelody Muzyamba, a senior agronomist at Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART), highlighted that both Thyethye and Mpeta varieties were rain-fed, high-yielding, and drought-resistant, making them suitable options for small-scale farmers.

Zambia’s wheat yields have been on the rise since a slump in production in 2019 down to 114,000 tonnes. In 2022, wheat production reached 235,000 tonnes, marking a 14% increase from the previous year.

Last year, halfway through Zambia’s wheat harvest months from October to November, wheat production had already reached 200,000 metric tons. The government is now aiming to achieve a wheat production target of 1 million tonnes by 2027.