On Friday, 8th August 2025, the Zambian-German Agricultural Knowledge and Training Centre (AKTC)had a distinct honor of hosting His Excellency Mr. Sönke Siemon, who is currently serving as Germany’s Ambassador-Designate to Zambia. Mr. Siemon assumed responsibility at the German Embassy in Lusaka Zambia, in July 2025 after taking over from Ambassador Anne Wagner-Mitchell who left the country for a similar assignment in May 2025.
Upon arrival at the AKTC Project, the ambassador was received by the AKTC team which was led by Mr. Helmut Anschuetz, AKTC’s team leader. He was introduced to the AKTC project through an organized presentation session and interactive tour visit to AKTC’s demonstration fields. During the presentation, Mr. Anschuetz introduced the AKTC team as well as the project implementing partners at national level. He further highlighted the German implementing consortium and private sector partners, where he pointed out their distinctive roles in the operation and implementation of the AKTC project in Zambia. Apart from farming input supply, the private sector partners play a very critical role in providing the project with the necessary farm machinery and/or implements which are being used and tested to local conditions, to foster on-farm field trials and demonstrations. Results from such demonstrations and trials are then documented and publicised to the farming industry through organized training programmes and field day events. The mandate of the AKTC training Centre was also outlined in which it was stated that the AKTC contributes to the sustainable development and modernization of Zambia’s agricultural sector through modern technology dissemination to market oriented farmers.
Immediately after the presentation, his Excellency the ambassador was then treated to a comprehensive tour of AKTC’s trainee accommodation facility and key initiatives which included the Regenerative Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Environmental Sustainability (RAINES) and the Climate Adapted Farming Methods (CAFM) Projects. Leveraging on the occasion, the AKTC newly recruited mobile trainers had an opportunity to showcase and explain the various ongoing farming technologies under the RAINES project. Among the key demonstrations introduced to him were the chicken trailer which is commonly used as a method of applying chicken droppings onto the fields as organic manure.
Fig 2: AKTC Mobile Trainer, Catridah Simwenwa explains to the Ambassador the role of chicken
manure in maintaining a health soil.
Other initiatives introduced to his excellency were the ‘family plots’ which compares yield differences based on varying planting
dates, using the Pfumvudza farming method. The key message
shared under the Pfumvudza farming method is that the technology addresses the critical issue of climate resilience, food and nutrition security at household level through its adaptive farming techniques that promote maximum water retention using mulch, and minimum soil disturbance among others.
Still under the RAINES project, the ambassador was engaged into discussion on the significance of mixed cover crops, such as sorghum, pearl millet, sunflower, and sun hemp, in improving soil health and productivity. Another important feature was syntropic farming, a sustainable approach integrating biodiversity and ecosystem restoration to enhance agricultural resilience. Comprehensive insights on cropping systems such as intercropping, crop rotation and monocropping were also showcased to him, illustrating their benefits for soil fertility and long-term sustainability.
Under the CAFM project, Mechanised Conservation Agricultural (MCA) practices were introduced to his excellency, as an important
technology in achieving climate change resilience. The key
message emphasized here was the economic and agronomic
benefits achieved through MCA as higher return on crop yield, time and fuel consumption is optimized compared to conventional practices. The aspect of minimum soil tillage and use of crop residue was also outlined as a good practice that promotes soil health and prevents soil erosion.
Fig 3: Mr. Helmut Anschuetz introduces to the Ambassador the machinery used under the
AKTC Climate Adapted Farming Methods-CAFM project.
Another key area brought to the attention of his excellency was the commercial farmer technologies being implemented under the AKTC 10 and 62 hectares of irrigated fields. One such technology is the use of Variable Rain irrigation advise which is supplied to the AKTC project by one of its private sector partner vista. During the discussion, it was outlined that Variable Rain irrigation advise gives
recommendation for water output based on soil moisture content and crop leaf area index. With the adoption of such technology, water resource use and crop yields are enhanced as a farmer is able to optimize his/her irrigation programme by providing the required amount of water per irrigated area. This technology guarantees efficient use of available water resource bodies which are already becoming scarce across many farms in Zambia, due to effects of climate change.
During the round of his tour visits, ambassador Siemon shared his insights and appreciated the importance of promoting such initiatives and farmer engagements in enhancing agricultural development in Zambia through knowledge dissemination and adoption of agricultural technologies.
As a bilateral cooperation project, it is always a great honor and privilege to host such high-ranking diplomatic representation onsite as we get the opportunity to share our milestones and vision together. Further, as a new diplomat in Zambia, we hope that his excellency’s visit to AKTC gives an impression of Zambia’s agriculture practices among the small-scale, emerging and commercial farmers. We further hope that such visits continue to strengthen the longstanding partnership between Zambia and Germany in advancing sustainable agriculture practices.