Israel Trains 740 Zambian Students in Modern Agriculture

The Ramat Negev International Training Centre for Advanced Agriculture in Israel has trained 740 Zambian students through an 11-month internship programme combining paid farm work with classroom learning to promote modern farming and entrepreneurship.

Run under Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and MASHAV, the programme exposes students to practical agricultural systems suited to water-scarce environments, equipping them to establish commercial farms back home. A delegation from the centre visited Zambia from 14 to 18 June 2026 to strengthen partnerships and coordinate student recruitment.

Centre director Jessica Pearlman said students work five days and study one day each week, earning a salary equivalent to Israeli labourers. She said the centre had upgraded its facilities to teach composting and gravitational irrigation, and helps graduates apply for grants, including recent applications for farms in Kabwe and a garlic grant with Chawezi. The long-term aim, she said, is for graduates to build viable farms rather than seek formal employment.

Israel Deputy Ambassador to Zambia, Chen Basson, said the programme, based in the southern desert region, models water-efficient agriculture through innovation, technology and careful water management.

Muchisunge Farm Operations Director Chawezi Phiri, who runs a 5.6-hectare mixed farm in Chongwe's Kanakantapa area, said the programme transformed his approach. He showed the delegation his poultry, horticulture, papaya orchard and goats, and credited Israel with inspiring his adoption of drip irrigation. Phiri encouraged young people to embrace farming, describing it as "a marathon, not a sprint."