ZARI Creates Successful Drought-Tolerant Seed Varieties

President Hichilema visited the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) at Mount Macula in Chilanga today, where UPL and Advanta Seeds formally presented a series of pilot projects for drought-tolerant seed varieties.

The Presidential Delivery Unity (PDU) spearheaded the idea of developing adaptive seed varieties for staple crops and biofuels to ensure both food and energy security in the country as reliance on fossil fuels decreases.

In a statement, President Hichilema acknowledged the struggle experienced by agriculture workers: “This has been one of the most challenging periods in history for farmers in Zambia, with floods last year and droughts today, a pure manifestation of climate change. But we made a commitment to stand alongside farmers and to give them the tools they need to adapt, grow, and thrive.”

The President said he looks forward to the full implementation of this project and called for collaborative efforts to further develop climate-resilient crop varieties.