Field Day at National Irrigation Research Station 29th September 2010

For all who are interested in there will be a field day in Nanga, at the National Irrigation Research Station. You will get to see reseach on vegetables and fruit trees as well as research on irrigated maize. The sorghum Breeding programme and the JICA-FoDiS Project will have a few things to show as well.

ZARI and ZAWA partner for SCGIS- Zambia Chapter

A new body of professionals concerned with geographical information systems (GIS), dubbed the Society for conservation GIS (SCGIS)- Zambia Chapter, is in the offing. SCGIS was originally conceived by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) of the United States of America (USA), in 1995, and has a current total membership running in thousands.

The SCGIS-Zambia Chapter initiative came into being in August, 2009, when scientists and other users of GIS from the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) came together and proposed the formation of a body of  professionals affiliated to SCGIS. 

The objectives of the organisation are to promote and create awareness among various stakeholders and users of geographical information systems, and share latest information, pertaining to the use of the GIS. 

Though membership is currently drawn from ZARI and ZAWA, other users and would-be users of GIS from all sectors of the economy, including students from elementary schools, colleges and universities are encouraged to join. Corporate membership is especially encouraged.

So far, the Zambia Chapter has instituted an executive, with a Mr. Sesele B. Sokotela, a soil survey scientist from ZARI, as its interim President, Mr Chaka of ZAWA, as Secretary General, and a Ms.Grace of The Surveyor General's Office, as its Treasurer. The organisation also boasts of an executive board, with the ZAWA  directorate as its current patron.

Since its inception in August, 2009 the SCGIS - Zambia Chapter has conducted a series of awareness meetings countrywide, and recently managed to send a representative to the Annual ESRI Congress in the USA and Canada.

DED, a Germany-based company currently promoting the use of GIS in Zambia is one of the first organisations to partner with the SCGIS-Zambia Chapter. DED is currently preparing to launch the ArchGIS Version 10.  

Job Advertisement: ZARI, Mt. Makulu Central Research Station, Chilanga

Vacancy Announcement:

1. Research Associate - Cassava Processing  Project (1)
2. Agricultural Markets Economist - Cassava processing Project (1)

(1). The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria invites applications from suitable candidates for the position of Research Associate for the small-scale cassava processing projects in East and Southern Africa.

IITA is a non-profit organization based in Africa. It works with national institutions to increase food production in tropical Africa. IITA is implementing a project titled ‘Small-scale cassava processing and vertical integration of the cassava subsector in Eastern and Southern Africa - Phase II’.  The project is funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) with counterpart contributions from IITA, the national institutions and stakeholders in Madagascar, Tanzania and Zambia.  The project will develop the income generating potential of cassava by capitalizing on the existing, but unexploited, and profitable market opportunities for cassava derivative products in cassava growing communities in the three project countries.

Position: IITA seeks applications from qualified candidates to assist the national coordinator in Zambia in the management of the project. He/she will work with other national partners, cassava stakeholders and other colleagues to develop the income generating potentials of cassava in Zambia.

Duty Station: Mt. Makulu Research station, Chilanga. The candidate must be willing to be relocated to the location where the cassava processing enterprises will be implemented within Zambia.

Responsibilities: The primary responsibilities will include:

·         Assist the National Coordinator in the management of project activities.

·         Ensure proper implementation of all project activities through constant personal involvement in the implementation and monitoring of activities on behalf of the national project coordinator.

·         Assist the national project coordinator in assembling technical and financial reports of the project and submitting to the project regional office in a timely fashion.

·         Assemble and maintain all scientific databases collected during project activities and submit to the project regional office after approval of the national project coordinator.

·         Maintain database of all stakeholders encompassing all sections of the cassava sub-sector including their interests and involvement in the cassava value chain.

·         Assist the national coordinator to liaise with the project regional office for the purpose of project monitoring and evaluation, preparation and execution of annual programs at national level,

·         Assist the national project coordinator in organizing training, workshops, and seminars in relation to the project objectives.

• Carry out other activities as required regularly by the national project coordinator and the regional project coordinator.

Educational requirements: The candidate should have at least a Master of Science degree in Economics (special skills in development, behavioral or impact economics), Rural Sociology, Food Technology, or Agronomy

Other requirements:

• Fluency in oral and written English.
• Proficiency in research report writing or evidence of peer-reviewed publication
• Familiarity with cassava production systems in Zambia. 
• Proven skills and experience in agriculture research both in the field and the laboratory.
• Computer literacy, financial and statistical data entry/analysis capabilities.
• Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal relation and readiness for team work.

General Information: The appointment is for 2 years, renewable every year for a total period of four years depending on attainment of high performance.

Applications: Candidates are requested to send applications to mukukaivor@yahoo.co.uk with copies to e.kazimoto@cgiar.org and a.abass@cgiar.org. Applications should include detailed CV, scan copies of their certificates, names and addresses of three referees and covering letter (not more than 2 pages) indicating interest/competency in handling the work and overview of similar work undertaken.

Closing date: The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted 


(2). The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria invites applications for the post of Agricultural Markets Economist for the small-scale cassava processing projects in East and Southern Africa.

IITA is a non-profit organization based in Africa. It works with national institutions to increase food production in tropical Africa. IITA is implementing a project titled ‘Small-scale cassava processing and vertical integration of the cassava subsector in Eastern and Southern Africa - Phase II’.  The project is funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) with counterpart contributions from IITA, the national institutions and stakeholders in Madagascar, Tanzania and Zambia.  The project will develop the income generating potential of cassava by capitalizing on the existing, but unexploited, and profitable market opportunities for cassava derivative products in cassava growing communities in the three project countries.

Position: The successful candidate will serve as the Business Adviser to the project beneficiaries as an inherent member of the project’s business creation team and will report to the regional project coordinator.

Duty Station: Mt Makulu Research Station, Chilanga but frequent travels to the other two project countries are expected. The candidate should be willing to work in small scale farm settings.

Educational requirements:

• PhD or Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Applied Economics, Agribusiness Management or other relevant fields.

Responsibilities: The primary responsibilities for the Business Advisor will include

• Monitor, evaluate and assess the impact of postharvest processing, product development, and other demand-creating interventions on the welfare of poor rural households, particularly the vulnerable groups within the project communities.
• Conduct surveys to document the adoption and diffusion of improved cassava production and processing technologies, and identify constraints and innovations for overcoming the constraints.
• Provide technical backstopping and assistance in improving the capacity of project national institutions and stakeholders.
• Publish the results of the research in strong peer-review journals annually.
• Conduct agribusiness management studies of cassava production farms and processing firms, including business planning, business performance appraisal/profitability and market analysis and evaluation of credit systems.
• Carry out other activities as required regularly by the regional project coordinator.

Core Competencies

• Extensive experience in business economics and management, bookkeeping and credit management.
• Experience in markets economic studies relating to agricultural issues, particularly in the use of econometric modeling techniques
• Outstanding ability to perform thoughtful critical analysis on market economics and livelihood related data.
• A strong peer-reviewed publication record.

Other Competences

• Knowledge of the cassava subsectors in Madagascar, Tanzania and Zambia.
• Fluency in oral and written English. Working knowledge of French.
• Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural environment.
• Skills in training of smallholder farmers, processors and other participants in the agricultural sector.

General Information: The initial contract appointment is for two years, renewable for a total period of four years depending on attainment of high performance, particularly on publication of research results in highly rated scientific journals.

Applications: Candidates are requested to send applications to mukukaivor@yahoo.co.uk with copies to a.abass@cgiar.org and e.kazimoto@cgiar.org. Applications should include a detailed CV, names and addresses of three referees and a covering letter (not more than 2 pages) indicating interest/competency in handling the work and overview of similar work undertaken including a list of publications.

Closing date: The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates. Candidates on sabbatical leave are encouraged to apply. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

ZAMBIANS TO START EATING ‘ORANGE NSHIMA’ SOON

Agricultural experts and various key stakeholders met at Chrismar Hotel in Livingstone for the Strategic Planning Workshop for the Development and delivery of the Provitamin A maize in Zambia. The workshop running from 6^th to 9^th September 2010 attracted a number of key stakeholders such as Zambia Research Institute (ZARI), Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI), National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) and Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO), Zambia Seed Company, Kamano Seed Company, Programme Against Malnutrition, National Food and Nutritional commission among many others.

The ZARI maize breeders are developing an open pollinated  maize  variety orange in colour that is rich in Vitamin A lacking in the diets of many Zambians especially children and young, child bearing women. This is a new intervention that seeks to improve the vitamin content of most maize products in natural way a process commonly known as biofortification as opposed to fortification that has commonly been done in some foods such as sugar.

Harvest Plus has been working with ZARI in developing this type of nutritious maize that is likely to change the colour of the Zambia’s staple food to orange. The project is still at planting stage is expected to come into full swing by 2012 when the variety is expected to be officially released.

During the same workshop, the participants had a privilege of learning about the outcome of the efficacy trials vitamin A rich maize that was fed to different types of children in Nyimba district of Eastern province of Zambia. The project will initially be piloted in Eastern, Southern and Central Provinces of Zambia due to their being known for maize production.

At the end of the workshop the participants resolved to constitute a steering team that would manage the project activities until it is fully operational.

The workshop received good media coverage from the two community radio stations (Mosi-o-tunya and Zambezi FM), Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia, The post news paper and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), all organised and invited by the NAIS.

This has definitely left many questions than answers in the minds of many Zambians who are accustomed to eating white maize. Are they ready to eat orange ‘Nshima’ because of it nutritional value?  Scientists involved should therefore prepare how they are going to convince the Zambian consumers to eat orange ‘Nshima’ as medicine as opposed to the white ‘Nshima’ that is eaten for satisfaction.

submitted by Christopher Mbewe- NAIS

ZARI Concludes NORC-COMPACI Survey in Eastern Province

The Farming Systems and Social Sciences division of the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), Mt. Makulu, has finally concluded the 2010 baseline study on cotton farmers affiliated to Cargill and Dunavant companies in the Eastern Province.The team led by Mrs. Milimo M.C.Sakala was contracted by the National Opinion Research Centre (NORC) of Arizona, U.S.A, to conduct a baseline study for the Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI) company.COMPACI is currently operating in sixteen (16) African Countries.

The main objective of the survey is to ascertain the impact of cotton growing among small-scale farmers in  Sub-saharan Africa, and Zambia is glad to be a participant.

The NORC -COMPACI survey began in late May, 2010, with satellite depots in Chama, Lundazi and Chipata North regions.In June, the team surveyed the rest of Chipata, Chadiza and Katete depots.The survey was concluded by Mid-august when Sinda, Petauke and Nyimba depots were annexed to the survey list, bringing the total number of surveyed sites to forty (40).

The baseline study instrument used was a standard 32-page questionnaire administered to a list of pre-sampled farmers with a record of cotton growing for the last three (3) consecutive years.

The survey is expected to repeat in the year 2012.

Scientific Symposium of the ICART Project from 6‐10 September 2010.

The SADC-ICART Project organised a Scientific Symposium from 6‐10 September 2010 at Saint George Hotel in Pretoria, South Africa.

The purpose of the scientific symposium is to enable National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in the SADC Member States to enhance their capacity to address common regional researchable constraints and opportunities in agriculture through regional initiatives. The project supported 7 regional research projects with activities in 10 Member States and several technologies, strategies, practices and knowledge products have been developed, evaluated and packaged for wider application. It also sponsored Postgraduate training for 50 students drawn from 9 Member States at four universities in the member states, in addition to supporting several knowledge sharing platforms for regional scientists.

The Scientific Symposium was convened to share the outputs and outcomes achieved, and one session of the Symposium has been devoted to the activities in Information, Communication and Knowledge Management in Agricultural Research & Development. Mr. Simumba presented a paper on the "Development of a National Agricultural Information, Communication and Knowledge Management (AICKM) Strategy - the case of Zambia".

During the symposium Mr. Simumba had a opportunity to interact with other participants from Zambia as well as other countries. He urged the Zambian participants to join ZAR4DIN. Zambia had 12 participants coming from Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, Natural Resources Development College and International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa. Participants to the symposium included policy makers at national and regional levels, researchers, trainers and students.

Posted by Davy Simumba - Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI)

FAO - ZAR4DIN Coordinator Visits ZARI

Tuesday, 30th August, 2010 will go down in history as a very memorable day for Mt. Makulu, ZARI. For it was on this day that the FAO coordinator for ZAR4DIN, Dr. Justin Chisenga, took time off his busy schedule to tour the ZARI information and documentation centre at the library and biometrics.Dr. Chisenga stressed that it was important for ZARI to make use of the available resources, i.e. computers, scanners and what-have-you- in order to kick-start the programme of digitizing the  documentation unit.
Dr. Chisenga's tour was scheduled to familiarize himself with the current status of information centres, vis-a-viz challenges and opportunities, within the framework of the Zambia Agriculture Research for Development Information Network (ZAR4DIN).
The FAO leader was led through the tour by Mrs Jane Namangala (Librarian), who was acting team leader for ZARI's Central Services at the time.

ZAR4DIN attends SADC - ICART AICKM Regional Workshop, 30th August - 3rd September 2010, Pretoria, South Africa.

Three members of the Zambia Agriculture Research for Development Information Network (ZAR4DIN) attended a follow-up Regional Workshop on Agricultural Information, Communication and Knowledge Management (AICKM) Strategy Development  Meeting of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Network of Agricultural R & D Information managers. The meeting was held at St. George Hotel, Pretoria, from 30th August to 3rd September 2010.

Participants to this workshop were drawn from all SADC member states except Namibia.

The workshop was held under the auspices of the Implementation and Coordination of Agricultural Research (ICART) project. The objectives of the workshop were as follows:

• To share the experiences gained in the region on the development of AICKM Strategies at national level, using a method developed by the Network.
• To start the process of developing a regional AICKM strategy on AR&D Information in the SADC region
• To review the SADC-AIMS portal and its improved functionalities, in line with international standards and trends, for use by the Network
• To discuss the management of AR&D information & documents and exchange of AR&D information in electronic format using web-based tools, with particular reference to document repositories, open access and archives and the evaluation of information products and services
• To adopt general guidelines of the Network for the generation, management, exchange and evaluation of AR&D information in the SADC region, and Training (ICART) in the SADC region.

Zambia contributed a lot to the development of the regional AICKM strategy based on the experiences gained during the development of the national AICKM strategy.

Three participants attended from Zambia namely; Mr. Davy Simumba of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Zambia Agriculture Research Institute - ZARI), Mr. Danny Munsanje from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development (Department of Livestock Development) and Ms. Christine Wamunyima Kanyengo from the University of Zambia Library.


Contributed by: Christine Wamunyima Kanyengo, Davy Simumba and Danny Munsanje.

ZARI Holds Its Annual Planning Meeting:30-08-10/03-09-10

The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute has began  its annual planning meeting for presentation of protocols and budgets slated for the 30th of August through the 3rd of September, 2010. The meeting was officially opened by the Deputy Director for Technical Services-Mr Moses Mwale, who stressed the importance of such an august annual gathering.He thus called upon every research scientist to present their protocols and budgets prudently.

So far, participation has been quite encouraging.Presentations of both old and new protocols has generated mature and breathtaking debate.One major highlight of the meeting is the inadequate capacity of government to finance most of the protocols, much to the chagrin of many a scientist.In any case, most protocols demand a lot of resources that require equally huge investments.
By and large, one can only hope for the better.