Western Province takes up conservation farming
WESTERN province farmers have adopted conservation farming that has multiplied their agricultural yields to increase household income and ensure adequate food security, says Sioma district agricultural officer George Sibolile.
Mr Sibolile said many small scale farmers have recorded immense benefits from the conservation programme under the auspice of WWF-Zambia in Western province.
He explained that the cultivation methods under conservation farming allowed for the farmers’ quick adaptation to the effects of global warming affecting the weather pattern across the globe.
He said with conservation farming, many families have experienced surplus production from a small area compared to conventional farmers where huge areas of land were cultivated with very little yields.
And WWF field officer Crispin Miyanda said there was overwhelming response from local farmers to engage in conservation farming, which has increased household food security and income creation.
Mr Miyanda explained that while some farmers initially refused to adapt the new system, a lot have come on board owing to the immense benefits with multiple yields from their neighbours.
“We had problems with selling the conservation method because it discourages use of animals in field management, but rather demands physical digging with a hoe.
“But now we are getting more and more farmers who are joining the programme with multiple crop farming,” he said.
Some farmers talked to explained that they were skeptical about conservation farming that required manual labour as opposed to animal ploughing which took up a huge piece of land but with little yields.
Muyunda Imenda, 65, of Nalwashi area of Sioma explained that he invested a lot of time in cultivating 10 by 50 metres area which gave him about 12 bags of maize, but that with conservation farming, in a 50m x 50m field, he harvested close to 25 by 50kg bags this last harvest season.
“Initially, I used a huge portion of land to plough with animals, but I now realise I was not getting enough yields compared to the small portion I used under conservation farming that is giving me over twice as much,” Mr Imenda said.
He said with 29 cattle at his farm, he had enough organic manure required for his fields under conservation farming, with enough left over for other farmers in need.
He has four major crops grown in his fields including sorghum, millet and maize in an effort to enhance crop diversification sponsored by the WWF agricultural programme in Western Province.
“I have learnt to grow other crops including seed preservation through this system.
“I am very happy with this kind of farming that assures me of my children’s future as I have two in secondary school and one UNZA undergraduate to support financially,” he said.