The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority has rolled out a large-scale summer cereals production programme covering 100 000 hectares, aimed at reinforcing national food security in the 2025/26 farming season.
Under the programme, irrigated maize will be grown on 30 000 hectares, while 60 000 hectares have been set aside for traditional grain crops.
The expected harvest is earmarked for both the Strategic Grain Reserve and private sector buyers.
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ARDA reports that maize planting under the initiative was finalised in November, while planting of traditional grains stood at 88 percent completion as of Wednesday.
The production drive is being implemented across ARDA estates, irrigation scheme business units, A1 and A2 joint venture outgrowers, as well as clustered smallholder farmers operating in the country’s eight farming provinces.
ARDA said the initiative leverages technology and structured partnerships to translate national food security policy into tangible output. The authority has also scaled up the production of traditional grains in line with Government policy promoting agro-ecological tailoring of crops.
Under the programme, ARDA is providing farmers with working capital in the form of fertilisers, chemicals and climate-smart seed varieties for traditional grains, while irrigated maize farmers are being supported with inputs to sustain production.
The authority said the approach is designed to boost productivity, enhance resilience to climate variability and contribute to stable grain supplies in the 2025/26 season.
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