Kagezi Seeds is proud to announce a multi-year partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) under the Vitamin A Cassava and Sorghum (VACS) Activity. Funded by international development partners, this research-to-market collaboration aims to accelerate smallholder access to validated, biofortified, and climate-resilient crop varieties across Zambia's diverse climatic zones.
The VACS Activity represents a major milestone for Kagezi Seeds, bridging the gap between world-class international crop science and local seed production. Through this partnership, Kagezi Seeds gains early access to CIMMYT's advanced germplasm pipelines, allowing us to test, validate, and multiply drought-tolerant cereal and legume varieties specifically adapted to Zambian environmental conditions.
"This partnership represents scientific validation for Kagezi. Working side-by-side with CIMMYT's international research team ensures that the seeds we supply to smallholders are of the highest genetic quality and are built to withstand severe climate shocks." — Sibongile Jere, Projects Officer
Bridging Laboratory Breeding and Local Smallholders
The operational framework of the partnership covers extensive multi-location trial fields across Southern, Central, and Eastern Provinces. Kagezi Seeds leads the local field management, coordinating with over 500 smallholder farmers who host on-farm trials. These trials provide vital real-world agronomic performance indicators, crop yield data, and valuable feedback on consumer taste and processing preferences.
A key focus of the VACS Activity is biofortification — breeding crops containing higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals. The partnership focuses on biofortified sorghum and millet varieties, addressing hidden hunger and nutritional deficiencies in rural farming households where these grains serve as core dietary staples.
Building Long-Term Seed Security
By connecting crop research with our existing outgrower distribution networks, the VACS Activity ensures that successful crop varieties move rapidly from trial fields into commercial multiplication. This accelerated commercialization cycle is vital to establishing long-term food security and helping Zambian agriculture adapt to shifts in regional rainfall patterns.