Welcome to the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute provides high quality, appropriate and cost effective services to farmers, generating and adapting crop, soil and plant protection technologies.
ZARI is involved in many provincial research programmes, which include the folowing:
Principal Activities are farming systems studies analyzing the current constraints to adoption of proposed technologies
Examine the long term threats and opportunities that farming systems of the provinces are expected to encounter
Research programme will be determined in close collaboration with other partners in the province
To identify baseline studies, choice of technologies to be tried, etc. These trials will provide feedback on the necessary adjustments to the proposed technology packages
All staff at the station to be involved in this work
Outreach Programme
Consists essentially of linkage activities with partners in the province. It will consist of stakeholder mapping to know which other people/organizations are represented
Discuss technology needs
Identify what is working or what is not working in the technologies that were released from the stations
Develop programmes for planting material multiplication (seed and tree nurseries) and supply
Provide training in support of the technologies developed and released
Participation in development related activities which research could have an input, e.g. with the decentralization policy it will be important to be visible at PDC and DDCs
An output from this could be a review of the principal technologies tested in the region and available results. An analysis of the principal constraints to increased agricultural production
Planning Outreach Activities
Provincial Research Committee composed of Department of Agriculture, other Technology Service Providers, NGOs, Community Based Organizations, etc.
Each researcher will be assigned a District with one visit per month. Whilst in the District Researchers will gather data on target groups, technologies used and identify potential contributions of research in these activities
Will also include activities in support of technology dissemination as agreed by PRC, e.g. training of TSPs, providing advise on a specific ZARI technology, joint testing of technologies with other TSP. advising local seed multiplication efforts to ensure quality products, promoting planting materials for seed multiplication
The programme should progressively become self supporting as TSPs should pay for services.
Principal Agricultural Research Officers - Stations
The outreach programme justifies the position of PARO Stations whose functions will be:
Implement, coordinate and lead the Outreach Research Programme
To make ZARI visible and relevant at regional, provincial and district levels
Collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the province and district
All researchers will be expected to allocate at least 25-30% of their time on Outreach Research Programmes
Each Research Station will have the following attributes:
A Provincial Research Committee composed of stakeholders in the in the province
Guidance from HQ
Behave as individual cost centres encouraged to raise own resources
Locally determined research + service programmes
An outreach programme working in partnership with “local stakeholders”
Staff will be in:
Farming systems research and on-farm testing
Understanding of threats to provincial farming systems
Participation in internal thematic and commodity programmes
Mission Statement
To contribute to the improvement of the welfare of the
Zambian people through the provision of technologies &
services that enhances household, food, security and
equitable income generating opportunities for the farming
community and agricultural enterprise.
ZARI Head Quarters
Mt. Makulu Central Research Station
Private Bag 7
Chilanga.
Tel: +260211278130/380
Fax: +260211278130/41
Email:mtmakulu@zamnet.zm
Email:zaridirector@zari.gov.zm
