Greenfield Commodities Leads Push for Smallholder Finance at Lusaka Agri-Conference
Greenfield Commodities Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to improving access to finance and inputs for small-scale farmers, describing the move as critical to unlocking Zambia’s full agricultural potential.
Speaking at the Agri-Finance Conference in Lusaka, the company’s Commercial Manager, Kangwa Lufungulo, said Greenfield – founded with the support of smallholder farmers – is dedicated to helping them transition into medium and commercial producers.
“Our flagship input is fertiliser, both urea and compound D, but we also provide seed, herbicides, and other chemicals that promote crop growth,” Mr Lufungulo said. “Beyond inputs, we offer expertise through agricultural economists and agronomists who inspect farmers’ fields and provide tailored advice to improve yields.”
He noted that the company has collaborated with government initiatives such as the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and the eVoucher system, which have provided a solid foundation for reaching rural farmers.
On climate change, Mr Lufungulo explained that Greenfield is investing in drought-resistant seed varieties and training farmers to adapt to erratic rainfall patterns.
“We are working with the Ministry of Agriculture and technology companies to support weather forecasting, irrigation, and dam construction in drought-prone areas,” he said.
The conference, attended by policymakers, financial institutions, and agribusinesses, focused on broadening smallholder farmers’ access to affordable finance, insurance, and digital solutions to help them progress from subsistence to commercial farming.
Mr Lufungulo described Greenfield’s participation as a “win-win”, enabling the company to expand its operations while helping farmers increase their incomes and contribute to national food security.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Agriculture Director of Agribusiness and Marketing, Mwendalubi Msoka, stressed that government is intensifying private sector partnerships to accelerate agricultural transformation and unlock financing opportunities for small-scale farmers.
“In recent years, the agriculture sector has continued to attract significant private sector investment, but we want to scale this up further by removing barriers and creating incentives,” Ms Msoka said.
She added that the recently approved Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme (CATSP) is Zambia’s national agriculture investment plan and the main vehicle for implementing the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Investment Framework (CADIF).
CATSP, she explained, adopts a holistic approach by drawing in sectors such as energy, transport, water, climate change, trade, and disaster risk management to strengthen Zambia’s food systems.
Ms Msoka delivered the remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, John Mulongoti.
