LUSAKA, Zambia – As Zambia celebrates a record-breaking agricultural season, Seed Co Zambia is helping ensure that the knowledge, science and innovation behind the country’s agricultural progress are passed on to the next generation.

Seed Co Zambia welcomed learners from Colin B Glassco Pre and Primary School in Chibombo District to our Lusaka West Farm, where the pupils received practical exposure to modern agriculture, seed research, agronomy, farm operations and emerging agricultural technologies.

 The educational visit comes at a significant moment for Zambia’s agriculture sector. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the country recorded approximately 4,937,605 metric tonnes of maize during the 2025/2026 agricultural season, representing a major recovery and bumper harvest.Beyond celebrating the numbers, sustaining Zambia’s agricultural progress depends on continuously developing knowledge, skills and interest in agriculture among future generations.

The visit also aligned with Seed Co’s seasonal theme, “Choose the Right Seed,” with the school selecting Seed Co as a point of practical agricultural learning for its pupils. Calvin Hakalima, Seed Co Zambia Lusaka West Farm Administrator, introduced the learners to the farm and encouraged them to consider agriculture not simply as a school subject, but as a possible future career. “Agriculture is our breadwinner. It is what makes us, as human beings, because we need to feed,” he told the learners, encouraging them to take their studies seriously and consider opportunities within the sector.

For Father Jude Thadeus, Director of Colin B Glassco Pre and Primary School, this practical exposure was the central purpose behind choosing Seed Co for the school’s educational visit. The school conducts educational agricultural trips to introduce learners to different aspects of production.

Previous visits have included coffee and sugar production, while the Seed Co visit provided an opportunity for learners to understand seed development, research and modern crop production. “Zambia is a vast country with so much land and opportunities,” Father Jude said, explaining that the school wants to develop an interest in cultivation and agriculture among its pupils from an early age. He added that bringing learners to Seed Co allowed them to experience agriculture beyond the classroom and could inspire some of them to become farmers and agricultural professionals in the future.

Through our research team, learners were introduced to the science behind seed development and the important role research plays in improving agricultural productivity. Kevin Simpasa, Head of Research Station at Seed Co Zambia’s Lusaka West Farm, Clement Hachinunka, Section Manager Lusaka West Farm, and Mwila Chibanda, Research Associate, explained how extensive research, breeding, testing and evaluation take place before seed reaches farmers. The learners learnt that seed varieties are developed to respond to different farmer requirements and production environments, ensuring farmers have access to solutions suited to their needs.

The visit also highlighted the growing role of technology in agriculture. Seed Co Group Digital Officer Tapela Lungu introduced the pupils to how digital platforms, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, digital communications and other emerging technologies are increasingly supporting agriculture and connecting farmers to information and services. The learners were introduced to the Seedney App 2.0 as an example of how technology can bring agricultural information and digital tools closer to farmers. “Modern agriculture needs farmers and agronomists, but it also increasingly requires plant breeders, researchers, engineers, data specialists, software developers, digital marketers, photographers, communicators and technology innovators,” he stated.

At a time when Zambia has demonstrated what its agricultural sector can achieve through a bumper harvest, sustaining and building on this progress will require another generation that understands agriculture, sees its possibilities and is prepared to participate in it. Educational partnerships between schools and agricultural institutions can help bridge this gap by giving learners practical exposure to the science, technology and careers behind food production.

For Seed Co, the lesson also reflects the thinking behind “Choose the Right Seed.” Choosing the right seed matters in the field, where every farmer begins a season with expectations of a productive harvest. However, investing in knowledge and exposing young people to agriculture is equally important to the future of the industry. The learners of Colin B Glassco Pre and Primary School chose Seed Co as a place to learn about agriculture. What they carried back to their classrooms was more than knowledge about tractors, research, agronomy and technology. It was a clearer picture of where agriculture can take them.

As Zambia celebrates a harvest of approximately 4.9 million metric tonnes, the next great agricultural harvest may depend on the knowledge and curiosity being planted in its young people today.