The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has rolled out a large-scale summer cereals production programme targeting 100 000 hectares as part of efforts to strengthen national food security during the 2025/26 agricultural season.
The programme comprises 30 000 hectares of irrigated maize and 60 000 hectares of traditional grains, with production aimed at supplying both the Strategic Grain Reserve and private sector markets.
According to ARDA, maize planting under the programme was completed in November, while planting of traditional grains had reached 88 percent completion as of yesterday.
The production drive is being implemented across ARDA estates, irrigation scheme business units, A1 and A2 joint venture outgrowers, as well as clustered smallholder farmers operating in the country’s eight farming provinces.
ARDA said the initiative leverages technology and structured partnerships to translate national food security policy into tangible output. The authority has also scaled up the production of traditional grains in line with Government policy promoting agro-ecological tailoring of crops.
Under the programme, ARDA is providing farmers with working capital in the form of fertilisers, chemicals and climate-smart seed varieties for traditional grains, while irrigating maize farmers are being supported with inputs to sustain production.
The authority said the approach is designed to boost productivity, enhance resilience to climate variability and contribute to stable grain supplies in the 2025/26 season.
