Zambia Minister seeks Viet Nam’s know-hows in boosting smallholder productivity

On March 9, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung received a courtesy visit from Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture Reuben Mtolo Phiri and Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane.

Many years of experience in cooperation with Africa

Sharing an overview of the agriculture and environment sector, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung affirmed that agricultural production continues to play a pivotal role in supporting the economy, ensuring food security for over 100 million people, and contributing positively to social stability and rural livelihoods.

“The growth figures are the result of policy reforms, the application of science and technology, and the enhancement of farmers’ production capacity. Viet Nam's agriculture is now strongly shifting towards sustainable production, increasing value-added, and expanding export markets,” the Deputy Minister said.

Viet Nam has carried out numerous agricultural cooperation programs with African countries over the past years. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has signed more than 30 agricultural cooperation agreements with countries in the region and sent over 400 agricultural experts and engineers to work in African nations. Some cooperation programs have also received support from international organizations and development partners.

Technical support projects have been actively implemented to improve productivity and transfer production techniques to local farmers, focusing on crop groups such as rice and maize, as well as on the development of farming systems and irrigation.

"In the coming time, Viet Nam is ready to strengthen exchanges and substantive cooperation with Zambia in agricultural trade, science and technology, and human resource training," Deputy Minister Hoang Trung emphasized.

He noted that during discussions with the Ministry’s specialized units, both sides will explore specific areas to identify priority fields of cooperation and develop a ministerial-level MoU. This will help outline a clear cooperation roadmap aimed at achieving practical results for both countries.

Zambia sets to boost productivity for 90% of smallholders

During the meeting, Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture Reuben Mtolo Phiri expressed his admiration for Viet Nam’s recent economic development achievements, particularly the role of agriculture in driving national growth.

South-South Cooperation WG (Viet Nam MAE) is the focal point for cooperative exchanges with African countries, including Zambia.

According to Minister Phiri, over 90% of Zambian farmers are smallholder producers. However, agricultural productivity remains low, so the sector’s contribution to GDP does not reflect its full potential.

Maize is Zambia’s main crop, but the current average yield is under 2 tons per hectare. Meanwhile, with the same land area and crop varieties, some efficient production models can reach up to 10 tons per hectare. “We want to learn from Viet Nam’s experience in increasing productivity for smallholder farms, from organizing production and applying science and technology to developing irrigation systems and mechanization,” Phiri said.

In practice, Zambia only has one rainy season per year, making water management and investment in irrigation particularly important for agricultural production. In addition, introducing mechanization into farming is another area Zambia hopes to learn from Viet Nam’s experience.

Zambia’s Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane expressed admiration for Viet Nam’s rapid economic development over the past decades. According to Musokotwane, Zambian policymakers are very interested in Viet Nam’s development model, especially how Viet Nam has built an agricultural development strategy linked to economic growth and exports.

He noted, "Viet Nam’s experience in overcoming challenges and building a resilient economy provides important lessons for many developing countries."

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung requested that international organizations, including the World Bank, assist in facilitating and promoting the development of a cooperation memorandum between the two sides.

He also noted that the Ministry’s experts will hold detailed discussions with the Zambian side on agricultural development policies, particularly directions for the next five-year period, with the expectation of opening new opportunities for Viet Nam-Zambia cooperation in the agricultural sector.