By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA
 –

THE Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) has partnered with
Zambia Seed Company (ZAMSEED) to promote massive production
of orange maize in the 2014/2015 farming season.
ZARI is the largest agricultural research entity in the country and aims at
developing and adapting crop, soil and plant technologies as well as
providing a high quality, appropriate and cost effective service to the
farmers.
ZARI agricultural research officer Lubasi Sinyinda said the institute
had partnered with ZAMSEED to do massive production of the GV664A
variety to be marketed for the 2014/2015 agricultural season.
Speaking at the just-ended Agricultural and Commercial
Show in Lusaka Ms Sinyinda said the institution had been undertaking research on
different maize varieties, saying that it had released three
varieties namely GV662A, GV664A and GV665A.
She said the orange maize provides more vitamin A than white
maize; the new varieties are also high-yielding, disease-resistant,
and drought-tolerant, reducing farmers’ vulnerability to threats like
reduced rainfall.
Ms Sinyinda said the institute had also partnered with Seed Company
(SEEDCO) and one other seed company to carry out massive production of the orange maize
varieties.
Ms Sinyinda said the orange maize project was implemented and promoted
by Harvest Plus.
Harvest Plus has been demonstrating the benefits of orange maize
since the three new varieties that provide higher levels of vitamin A were
released in 2012 by the ZARI.
Zambia also has a strong vitamin A supplementation programme that
targets children under five, as well as a mandated sugar fortification
programme.
Orange maize, when eaten as a porridge-like staple food known as
nshima-could provide half of the average daily requirement of vitamin
A for women and children.