GSARS Conducts Successful Workshops in Zambia and Zimbabwe to Enhance Agricultural Statistics and Strategic Planning

 The Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics recently concluded two highly productive workshops in Zambia and Zimbabwe from May 19th to June 1st, 2024. Led by Statistician Lassina Pare, these missions aimed to facilitate a regional training on basic agricultural statistics in Lusaka and provide technical support for finalizing the Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics (SPARS) design in Harare. 

Zambia: Regional Training on Basic Agricultural Statistics (Lusaka, 20-24 May) 

In Lusaka, the FAO collaborated with the UN Economic Commission for Africa to co-organize a regional training workshop on agricultural statistics from May 20th to 24th. The workshop targeted data stewards, data producers, and statisticians from eight Regional Economic Communities recognized by the African Union Commission and two regional specialized institutions (CILSS and AFRISTAT). The training, co-facilitated by expert statisticians Nayo Ankouvi and Bruce NanaNana, covered essential topics such as agricultural statistics within national statistical systems, integrated surveys, best practices for data dissemination, and key agricultural indicators. Participants engaged in interactive sessions and practical exercises, and post-training evaluations indicated a significant improvement in their confidence and skills. 

Zimbabwe: Finalizing the SPARS Process (Harare, 27-31 May) 

In Harare, from 27th to 31st May, the training focused on supporting the finalization of Zimbabwe's SPARS process. This included a comprehensive review and update of the SPARS document with the Technical Working Group (TWG), ensuring the inclusion of missing information and refining the action plan. A national validation meeting, co-chaired by high-level officials from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, and the FAO Office, endorsed the SPARS document, marking a critical milestone in enhancing Zimbabwe's agricultural statistics framework.   

The mission started with a courtesy visit to Mr. Patrice Talla Takoukam, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, and Mr. Louis Muhigirwa, FAO Deputy Representative in Zimbabwe. This visit enabled the presentation of the training objectives and activities and the expression of gratitude for the continuous support from the respective FAO Offices.   

Throughout these workshops, the GSARS team engaged with key stakeholders and facilitated crucial discussions on strategic planning and agricultural data production process. The successful completion of these activities underscores the FAO's commitment to strengthening national capacities in agricultural statistics and supporting evidence-based decision-making for sustainable agricultural development. 

GSARS extends its sincere thanks to all participants, implementing partners, and country offices for their invaluable contributions. The collaborative efforts and insights shared during these workshops will guide the successful implementation of future initiatives, ensuring continued progress in agricultural statistics and strategic planning in the region.