Upbeat about the agriculture sector’s prospects post-2024, the government projects an average growth of 15.1% over the 2025-2027 medium term, as the sector and country recover from the EL Nino phenomenon.
Prolonged dry spells in the 2023/2024 farming season, impacted the production of major crops, and caused the loss of maize, soya beans, groundnuts, and wheat in some cases, which pushed up food prices fueling inflation.
Meanwhile, the government is expected to launch the Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Program (CATSP) before the end of this year, to address the challenges and unlock opportunities in the agriculture value chains.
According to the 2025–2027 Medium Term Budget Plan Green Paper, the CATSP will lead to enhanced food security and improved nutrition. It is also expected to create employment and boost agricultural exports, in turn, creating room for private sector participation and investment.
The state has also undertaken to fully migrate the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to the electronic voucher system over the medium term.
“All districts in the country are scheduled to be migrated to the electronic voucher system in the 2025/2026 farming season in line with the FISP Migration Plan approved by Cabinet in 2022. In addition, the Government will continue to roll out the credit window on the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility (SAFF) with extended access to farmers to not only seed and fertilizers but also small-scale irrigation equipment, farm power mechanization, livestock, and aquaculture.”
In the same period, the government intends to continue to develop farming blocks and add value to agricultural produce through agro-processing and exports to increase production and productivity.
The targeted farm blocs include Nansanga, Luswishi, Luena, Solwezi, Mansha, and Shikabeta, among others.
Further, to reduce dependence on rainfed agriculture, the government has undertaken to facilitate investments in the development of alternative sustainable water sources such as irrigation systems, dams, and rainwater harvesting in various parts of the country.
