Zambia - Irrigated and Sustainable Agriculture for Transformation Project

Overview & Synopsis

Irrigated and Sustainable Agriculture for Transformation Project for Zambia has the development objectives to increase access to irrigation, enhance integration into agriculture value chains, and strengthen climate resilience. Component 1: Irrigation Development and Scale-up will expand irrigated area through a portfolio of public scheme investments and farmer-driven solutions. Sub-component 1.1: Development and Upgrading of Priority Irrigation Schemes will develop and rehabilitate priority schemes, including conversion of temporary community-based smallholder installations into permanent infrastructure and expansion of existing schemes, guided by transparent site selection criteria and climate-resilient, renewable energy-ready designs. Sub-component 1.2: Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) will deploy an innovative Results-Based Financing (RBF) mechanism that combines tiered equipment subsidies linked to affordable credit, independent global positioning system verified installation, supplier prequalification to national and international standards, and a digital platform for transparent delivery; it will prioritize solar pumping, link eligible farmers to financial institutions, and include a dedicated targeting window for women farmers. Sub-component 1.3: Water Governance and Institutional Strengthening will reinforce Water User Groups (WUGs), introduce responsible artificial intelligence enabled groundwater mapping, embed climate-informed water resources planning, build policy and managerial capacity within the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and related institutions, operationalize a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for scheme management, and establish performance monitoring for FLID. Component 2: Knowledge Generation and Digital Dissemination will strengthen research, extension, and digital advisory systems. Sub-component 2.1: Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) Support will upgrade the National Irrigation Research Station to demonstrate climate-smart irrigated practices, generate and disseminate irrigation-relevant knowledge, strengthen research–extension linkages, and launch a graduate knowledge exchange focused on irrigation and water management. Sub-component 2.2: E-Extension and Digital Agriculture Platform will create an integrated, government-owned platform that consolidates tools, tracks extension officer performance, strengthens early warning for weather and pests, and delivers climate-smart content via short message service, unstructured supplementary service data, radio, and localized visual materials; it will integrate a dashboard with the Zambia Integrated Agriculture Monitoring and Information System (ZIAMIS), emphasize sustainability through the MoA recurrent budget, and adopt gender-responsive approaches. In addition, activities supported by the FoodSystems 2030 umbrella program will strengthen the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) by piloting soil-specific input packages including organic options and lime, enhancing soil information systems, advancing e-extension and agrodealer advisory, developing targeting and graduation strategies, and conducting monitoring and impact evaluations. Component 3: Market Access and Value Chain Development will catalyze commercialization and reduce post-harvest losses. Sub-component 3.1: Matching Grants to Aggregators for Last-Mile Infrastructure and Services will co-finance eligible private entities to invest in aggregation and bulking, solar-powered cold chains, processing and value addition, and warehousing and logistics, with inclusive business models and climate-smart practices. Sub-component 3.2: Technical Assistance will help aggregators design bankable inclusive subprojects, support farmers with production planning and quality, integrate energy-efficient and climate-resilient practices, and strengthen contracts, traceability, and quality assurance. Component 4: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation will finance efficient and accountable implementation, including staffing and equipment for the Project Implementation Unit anchored in the MoA, capacity building for the Department of Project Management and Monitoring, execution of the Environmental and Social Management Framework, robust fiduciary management and audits, monitoring and evaluation, and an accessible grievance redress mechanism, with fiduciary functions supported by the National Authorizing Office (NAO).