THE Swedish government has spent USD $52 million on agriculture projects to support and improve market conditions to over 430,000 farmers in Zambia since 2012.
Swedish Embassy Head of Development Cooperation and Chargee D’affairs, Susanna Hughes disclosed that her Country has supported Musika with about USD $51.2 million, under the project dubbed ‘Making Agricultural Markets Work for Zambia’ since 2012.
Speaking during the Musika Stakeholders Project Evaluation Meeting in Lusaka, Ms Hughes revealed that over 430,000 farmers Countrywide have benefitted from improved access to inputs, products, services as well as finance.
Ms. Hughes added that due to improved access to markets, more than USD $45 million in increased income has been accrued to Zambia’s smallholder farmers.
She also highlighted that over USD $32 million worth of private capital has since been leveraged for investment in the smallholder market, further leading to millions of dollars in new businesses.
Ms Hughes has since commended the Zambian government for creating an enabling environment for private sector growth.
“The government’s support and commitment to creating an enabling environment for private sector growth has been instrumental. Their policies and initiatives have facilitated the implementation of our projects and ensured that the benefits reach the intended communities,” she said.
And Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary in Charge of Administration, Yvonne Mpundu said government has created a conducive environment for investment in the agricultural sector in order to benefit smallholder farmers.
Ms. Mpundu said in a speech delivered for her by Assistant Director for Agri-Business in the Ministry of Agriculture, Peter Zulu during the Musika Stakeholders ‘Project Evaluation Meeting in Lusaka.
She explained that government has placed focus on agricultural value chains and market linkages in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), adding that this aligns with the strategic direction to strengthen agricultural value chains and improve smallholder farmer access to markets.
Ms. Mpundu acknowledged the role of players such as Musika in transforming Zambia’s agriculture sector through private sector-led innovations.
She stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has partnered with Musika on several key initiatives aimed at developing market opportunities and creating an environment that enables smallholder producers to participate actively in structured markets.
“These efforts align with the 8NDP, where the government has launched a strategic focus on economic diversification and job creation, with agriculture as a key sector. Musika’s work contributes to this national agenda by promoting private sector development and market systems inclusion, which are essential for economic transformation and poverty alleviation,” she said.
And Musika Board Vice Chairperson Chris Muyunda said the Organisation adopted a strategy aimed at ensuring sustainability of market linkages.
He explained that this entails a shift from a Partner Focused Approach to ensure that solutions provided are not just for partners but the whole market.
“With this approach, Musika will be required to conduct market systems analysis to identify root causes of market failures that can be resolved by engaging a cross section of stakeholders such as government, private sector and traditional leaders, among others,” Dr. Muyunda elaborated.
