The Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme is a public-private partnership aiming to reduce rural poverty among small-scale farming households. The programme represents a move away from the traditional production-oriented approach to agricultural development in Zambia.

Its overall goal is to increase the income levels of about 24,000 poor rural households by boosting the quality and quantity of production of specific commodities. Of these small-scale farmers, 80 per cent are poor — 66 per cent are extremely poor — and more than half are women. They are already engaged in some market-oriented production but they need help to improve their market operations, to diversify production and to add value to their produce.

The programme engages private sector partners at several levels, including the design and implementation of interventions at critical points in agricultural value chains that will add value to products and connect farmers with input suppliers and markets.

The programme will allow farmers to:

• access technology so that they can increase their yields and improve the quality of their produce
• enhance their capacities for activities such as sorting, grading, drying and storing
• make better commercial decisions based on appropriate market information
• get higher and more stable prices with farming contracts
   

Soure: IFAD