60% of Zambians live in poverty. 78.8% in rural areas. Agriculture employs half the workforce. When farming transforms, everything transforms.
The design of CATSP is anchored on seven strategic priorities that guide every investment decision.
Confine and strengthen the public sector in its role of creating an enabling environment for agriculture business.
Enhance the quality of public expenditure in agriculture — every Kwacha must count.
Promote inclusive local supply chains across the country, from Mongu to Chipata.
Expand private sector's access to financial services for agriculture.
Upgrade infrastructure for production, processing and trading.
Increase investment for research and enhance the uptake of technologies.
Promote land tenure security, as well as social and environmental safeguards.
Every Kwacha costed against specific Policy Implementation Instruments.
Through the deployment of 95 policy instruments, CATSP seeks to achieve these outcome-level results.
Ensure sufficient food production for human consumption and industrial use, building on the average surplus of 551,652 MT annually.
Reduce stunting (currently 35% in under-5s), wasting, and underweight through nutrition-sensitive agri-food systems.
Agriculture already employs 51% of Zambia's workforce. CATSP targets massive expansion through value addition and processing.
Grow agriculture's 7% share of total national exports through value chain development and trade facilitation.
Address the growing food import bill, especially in fisheries where imports ($3.3B) vastly exceed exports ($135.8M).
Reverse the decline in agriculture's GDP contribution — from 6.8% in 2014 to 2.8% in 2023 — by unlocking private investment.
From the Minister of Finance to your district coordinator. Here is who is accountable.
Chaired by the Minister of Finance. The highest decision-making body for CATSP. Supported by the Presidential Delivery Unit as its secretariat.
Chaired by the Secretary to the Cabinet. Supports the HCAT with ZARETA serving as its secretariat.
The Zambia Agricultural and Rural Economy Transformation Agency — responsible for day-to-day program coordination and national policy dialogues.
PDCCs and DDCCs coordinate at provincial and district levels. Policy dialogues flow from districts upward to national level annually.
CATSP takes a value chain approach. The first batch of priority commodities — selected for food security, export potential, and job creation — includes:
Maize, Wheat, Soybean, Onion, Irish Potato, Avocado, Macadamia
Beef, Poultry, Dairy
Fish (Tilapia, Kapenta, Catfish, and more)
Value Chain Development Plan Agreements (VCDPAs) will be signed by stakeholders for each priority chain, specifying investment requirements and targets.
"All 130 pages. Or just ask me."