Officiating the inception meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka on May 23, 2025, Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, John Mulongoti, acknowledged the alarming post-harvest losses the country has endured over the years.

He noted that Zambia continues to lose between 30 to 40 percent of its maize and soya bean harvests every season due to inadequate storage, poor handling practices, and limited access to affordable preservation technologies.

Mulongoti emphasized that the REGAIN Project comes at a critical time, as the country emerges from a severe drought that impacted food production and exposed vulnerabilities in Zambia’s agricultural value chains. He highlighted the importance of aligning the project with the country’s broader development strategies, including the Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme and Zambia’s climate adaptation priorities.

“Reducing post-harvest losses is a vital step toward enhancing food security, increasing farmer incomes, and supporting our national development agenda,” said Mulongoti. “This initiative will empower farmers with access to climate-smart post-harvest technologies and foster public-private partnerships that drive innovation.”

Representing AGRA, Country Manager Maziko Phiri described the project as a bold commitment to one of Africa’s most under-addressed agricultural challenges. He reiterated AGRA’s mission to not only boost agricultural productivity but also to ensure that what is produced is protected, preserved, and translated into economic value for farming households.

Phiri revealed that the REGAIN Project will focus on Zambia’s critical maize and soya bean value chains, two strategic commodities with the potential to enhance national food security and drive economic growth. The project will support smallholder farmers with improved drying, handling, and storage solutions while promoting local innovation and private sector investment in post-harvest management.

He further noted that the project is designed to strengthen market systems to ensure that reduced food losses translate into increased incomes for farmers. Additionally, it aims to create an enabling environment for the use of climate-resilient technologies, with a particular focus on inclusivity by actively involving women and youth.

The Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, represented by Permanent Secretary Dr. Douty Chibamba, also pledged support, recognizing the project’s contribution to Zambia’s climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Dr. Chibamba affirmed that aligning agricultural initiatives with the country’s climate policies will accelerate the transition to a resilient and sustainable food system.

AGRA expressed gratitude to the Zambian government for its leadership and commitment to tackling post-harvest losses. “This collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, and AGRA demonstrates a unified front in addressing systemic food system challenges,” said Phiri.

The project is expected to directly contribute to Zambia’s national production targets, including ambitions to produce 10 million metric tonnes of maize and 1 million metric tonnes of soya bean by 2027.