Ministry of Agriculture

Status: Ongoing

Partner Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture

Years: 2024-Present

Key Policy Areas: Agricultural Input Subsidy (e-Voucher) 

Type of Support: Policy development, implementation,

strategic communications

 

Agriculture is a cornerstone of Zambia’s economy, providing

food security, employment, and income for over 70% of the

population. JAP has focused on fostering private sector growth

to increase agricultural productivity, business expansion, and

employment opportunities.

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JAP has played a key role in supporting the Ministry of Agriculture

to transition its flagship Farmer Input Support Programme from a

direct input subsidy model to an e-Voucher system, where the

private sector distributes fertiliser and seeds to farmers in a

competitive market. This initiative has empowered farmers by allowing them to select agricultural inputs tailored to their local conditions, managed through a digital platform. JAP supported the implementation of e-Voucher for 750,000 farmers in 2024/25, and the expansion of the system to more than one million beneficiaries across 100% of Zambia’s districts in 2025/26.

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JAP has played a crucial role in the e-Voucher roll-out, supporting both system design and policy implementation. JAP developed targeted interventions to address implementation challenges at the local level and worked strategically at the national level to secure timely financing and deliver a comprehensive strategic communications campaign to support system roll-out and timely redemptions of inputs by beneficiaries.

In 2025, JAP, with support from the World Bank, evaluated the 2024/25 roll-out’s performance, assessing farmer and agro-dealer satisfaction, system effectiveness, and economic impacts. The evaluation highlighted the importance of timely, data-driven reviews to enhance efficiency, accountability, and ensure inputs reach intended smallholder farmers.

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JAP’s contributions have been welcomed by the Ministry of Agriculture. Permanent Secretary John Mulongoti stated at the post-implementation review of the Farmer Input Support Programme: “The Jobs Accelerator Project has played a critical role in strengthening the implementation of FISP and supporting broader agricultural transformation objectives. JAP has been instrumental in expanding private-sector participation — particularly among agro-dealers, suppliers, and service providers — thereby stimulating job creation along the agricultural value chain. Through improved market linkages, access to finance, and capacity-building, the project is helping unlock employment opportunities for youths and small-scale entrepreneurs in both rural and peri-urban areas.” 

 

Alongside support to the e-Voucher roll-out, JAP has also been supporting the Ministry of Agriculture with wider reform priorities, including ongoing support to the Food Reserve Agency and Ministry on maize export strategy, and past support to the Ministry’s Sustainable Agricultural Financing Facility.

 

Key impacts of the e-voucher:

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• Timely and good quality agricultural inputs were successfully redeemed by more than 1,000,000 Zambian farmers ahead of planting season, with extremely high farmer satisfaction rates.

• Zambia’s private sector agro-dealer network was significantly strengthened nationally, with 973 agro-dealerships and distributors registered.

• Significant formal and informal job creation, with more than 5,000 direct private sector jobs created in agro-dealerships, and thousands more across the wider supply chain.