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Zambia’s agriculture transformation will rely on intelligence systems, digital transaction platforms, and supplier ecosystems that let farmers focus solely on production, former Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati has said.
Mutati said Government under President Hakainde Hichilema was pushing for connected systems to support producers and reduce operational barriers.
The former Technology and Science Minister said this during the re-launch of Mikalo Financial Services in Lusaka on Friday, at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
Mutati stressed that digital infrastructure should link transactions across the value chain, emphasizing that the country needed to have digital platforms that connected the various transactions.
He noted that the expansion of over money was enabling the reduction of the cost of doing business for the farmer and that technology was removing physical and logistical hurdles for farmers accessing finance.
He said the platforms also gave lenders better data to assess credit risk and farmer behavior.
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Mutati also called for full supplier ecosystems covering fertilizer and irrigation so that farmers do not source inputs themselves.
“This ecosystem provides a solution for the farmer. So the farmer focuses on production. So we have that ecosystem. That is important and it’s important to do,” he said.
Mutati stated that Government had identified agriculture as the main driver of national transformation and pledged to secure markets for small-scale farmers.
He said private sector players were key to unlocking farm productivity and in providing the market for the small scale farmers.
Mikalo Finance Chief Executive Officer, Michael Zulu, said the financial institution had invested in digital and smart farming solutions to improve access to timely information and better business support for farmers, as part of a strategy rolled out in 2023.
Zulu said the firm is positioned as a technology-driven institution committed to empowering growth through finance and agriculture investment.
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