GIZ Donates Vehicles, IT Equipment to Boost Rural Agri-Finance in Zambia
The Ministry of Agriculture has received a donation of two vehicles and assorted Information Technology (IT) equipment from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), under the Global Project for the Promotion of Access to Agricultural Finance for Agri-Based Enterprises in Rural Areas (GP AgFin).
Speaking during the handover ceremony held in Lusaka, Ministry Permanent Secretary for Administration, Ms. Yvonne Mpundu, expressed deep gratitude to GIZ and the German Government for their long-standing support to Zambia’s agricultural sector.
“This project aligns well with the government’s vision of enhancing access to finance for agri-business enterprises in rural areas,” Ms. Mpundu said. “With 59 percent of Zambia’s agricultural population living in rural areas, such interventions are vital for improving food security and household incomes.”
Ms. Mpundu noted that GIZ has been a strategic partner for over a decade, working with the Ministry to improve access to finance for smallholder farmers in Eastern, Luapula, and Southern provinces. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to sustaining progress through the newly developed Farmer Financial Cycle Implementation Strategy.
She further revealed that through the AGFIN project, partner financial institutions have disbursed over 21 million euros in private sector capital to Zambian farmers, significantly boosting access to agricultural finance.
“The donated vehicles and IT equipment will improve our capacity for financial literacy outreach and strengthen collaboration with financial institutions to reach more rural farmers,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, Ms. Cornelia Ehlers, Project Coordinator for AGFIN at GIZ, reaffirmed the organization’s continued commitment to Zambia’s agricultural transformation through increased financial inclusion.
“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished together over the past ten years,” said Ms. Ehlers. “As the AGFIN project concludes in July 2025, we are already working on successor initiatives such as CREATE and AGSYS to continue supporting the sector.”
She emphasized the importance of strengthening rural financing systems to unlock Zambia’s agricultural potential and uplift smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.
