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 6th to 9th 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
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