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Cholwe, officially known as ZSV 108, is a newly developed sorghum variety in Zambia that exemplifies the power of participatory plant breeding (PPB). Developed through a collaborative process led by the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute in partnership with farmers, this variety reflects a deliberate effort to align scientific breeding with farmer preferences, local knowledge, and agroecological realities. The development of ZSV 108 began in 2019 under a PPB initiative aim

Since its inception in 2025, the Community Initiatives for Sustainable Agriculture Solutions (CISAS) project has brought transformative change to Machavika Village in Chirundu District. The project has showcased the potential of agroecological practices to boost productivity, enhance soil health, and improve household food security. During the 2025/2026 farming season, Shelly Ngandu, a Champion Farmer from Machavika Village in Chirundu district achieved one of her highest h

For many years, farmers in Chirundu believed that groundnuts could not thrive in their low-rainfall environment. This perception limited both production and access, forcing households to travel long distances outside the district just to purchase groundnuts. “Farmers have always associated Chirundu with poor groundnut performance because of low rainfall,” explains Obrian Natala, Camp Extension Officer for Kayuni Camp. “But with the introduction of the MGV8 variety, which is m