The past two years have marked a period of meaningful collaboration — and the beginning of what we believe will be a long-term relationship built on shared values, intentional strategy, and the impact of real results in the field. Partnering with Caritas Czech Republic has allowed Kagezi Seeds to extend its footprint, delivering critical seed security and agronomic advisory support to smallholders who need it most.
To date, this joint initiative has successfully supported over 1,500 smallholder farmers across Central and Western Provinces. By combining the social enterprise reach of Kagezi Seeds with the structural capacity-building models of Caritas, the program has empowered farming communities to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices, boost yields, and secure sustainable market channels.
"Our partnership with Caritas has proven that when seeds are combined with hands-on, community-centered extension training, we can build true climate resilience even in the most vulnerable agro-ecological zones." — Marina Kamanzi, Managing Director
Focusing on Underutilized, Resilient Crop Varieties
A core element of the collaboration has been the deliberate introduction of underutilized, drought-tolerant crop varieties. Unlike traditional hybrid maize, which is highly sensitive to shifting rainfall, varieties such as Pearl Millet, Sorghum, and Cowpea perform reliably under dry spells. These varieties not only diversify the household food basket but also regenerate degraded soils through nitrogen fixation.
Over the two-year period, participating farmers reported an average yield increase of 38% for cereal grains and legumes. Furthermore, Kagezi Seeds established direct market channels to purchase the harvested seeds from contracted outgrowers, ensuring a guaranteed pre-season price and insulating smallholders from market fluctuations.
Looking Forward: Scaling Up the Support Model
As we transition into the next phase of our collaboration, the focus shifts toward expanding the training curriculum to cover post-harvest processing, value addition, and household-level financial literacy. Both organizations are dedicated to expanding the network to reach an additional 1,000 farmers in the coming crop cycles, ensuring that sustainable farming practices remain the bedrock of Zambia's agricultural future.