Transferring modern agricultural knowledge and farming techniques to Zambia’s farming community remains at the topmost agenda of the Zambian-German Agricultural Knowledge and Training Centre (AKTC). On March 18, 2025, AKTC was delighted to host Bayer’s field day which aimed at providing farmers and stakeholders with insights into Bayer’s agricultural innovations while fostering knowledge exchange among industry experts, AKTC representatives, and local farmers. The event, organized by Bayer Crop Science, served as a platform to showcase agricultural innovations and sustainable farming practices.
Despite being primarily organized for Bayer’s purposes, AKTC, as a key partner, took the opportunity to highlight some of its ongoing projects, demonstrating its commitment to advancing regenerative agriculture through its newly established RAINES (Regenerative Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Environmental Sustainability) project
The event was graced by several distinguished guests, including Bayer CEO Mr. Bill Anderson, Bayer Africa Head Ms. Debra Mallowah, AKTC Team Leader Mr. Helmut Anschuetz, Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) Executive Director Dr. Martin Muyunda, and representatives from the Provincial Agricultural Coordinating Office. Their presence
Fig 1: Farmers gather on designated exhibition points during the field day event.
underscored the significance of the event in fostering partnerships and promoting sustainable agricultural advancements in Zambia.
Apart
Fig 2: From left to right; John Kanyingi-Customer Facing Squad Lead-Southern African Countries, Bill Anderson-Bayer CEO, Max Mueller- Bayer Global Public Affairs Lead, Debra Mallowah-Bayer Africa Head, Anna Rainer-Bayer Global Public Policy and Positioning Lead, Helmut Anschuetz-AKTC team Leader
Apart from creating favourable platform for farmer and stakeholder engagements, Bayer utilized the event to introduce advanced hybrid maize seed varieties, promote climate-smart agricultural solutions and emphasize its commitment to improving food security in Zambia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Throughout the event, Bayer engaged with farmers, offering practical demonstrations on best agronomic practices aimed at enhancing production and productivity thereby promoting resilience in unpredictable climatic conditions.
AKTC, leveraging the occasion, showcased several of its initiatives aligned with regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Among the key demonstrations were family plots comparing yield differences based on varying planting dates, using the Pfumvudza farming method. Additionally, AKTC highlighted the significance of cover crops, such as sorghum, pearl millet, sunflower, and sun hemp, in improving soil health and productivity.
Fig 3: Natasha Kanungo, AKTC Mobile Training Trainer (MTT) explaining the Pfumvuza farming technique to the farmers at AKTC’s RAINES project.
Another important feature was syntropic farming, a sustainable approach integrating biodiversity and ecosystem restoration to enhance agricultural resilience.
The event also provided a platform to demonstrate different cropping systems, including intercropping, crop rotation, and monocropping, illustrating their benefits for soil fertility and long-term sustainability. AKTC further took the opportunity to present its extensive training programs designed to equip farmers with practical knowledge and skills necessary for improving their farming techniques.
Fig 4: Catridah Simwenwa & Elijah Malowa, AKTC Mobile Training Trainers (MTT) explaining the benefits of syntropic farming technique.
The field day event proved to be a success, reinforcing the strong collaboration between AKTC and Bayer. The event not only increased farmer awareness of regenerative agricultural principles but also facilitated discussions on innovative solutions for sustainable farming. The engagement between industry experts and farmers encouraged valuable knowledge-sharing, strengthening AKTC’s role as a centre for agricultural knowledge exchange, training and research.
In conclusion, the Bayer Field Day at AKTC was an important event that highlighted the synergy between industry and research institutions in advancing agricultural development. While Bayer led the event, AKTC effectively used the platform to showcase its contributions under the RAINES initiative, reinforcing its commitment to promoting environmental sustainability and agricultural innovations.
