Mukupa Writes

By Linda Mupemo  Cows search for pasture in Chisamba  Chisamba District Fisheries and Livestock Coordinator Magula Chikoondo has urged livestock farmers to embrace forage production to enhance good nutrition for their livestock all year round.  Dr. Chikoondo noted that most small scale livestock farmers in the area depend on wild fodder to feed their animals, a practice he described as unsustainable in the wake of climate change.  Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Dr. Chikoondo  stated that livestock farmers should be deliberate about growing food for their animals like they do human food.  Dr. Chikoondo explained that fodder takes a short period  of time to grow adding that the short rainy season experienced in the previous season was adequate for the fodder to grow had farmers planted.  “It is a bad idea for livestock farmers to leave their livestock’s feeding at the mercy of nature. With the climate crisis we are faced with, most streams and...

By Linda Mupemo  Yvonne Haching’anyu shows off her money Yvonne Haching’anyu  smiles widely as she recounts the sixteen K 50 notes she has just been handed by the Pay Point Manager (PPM) at Liteta Primary School.  Ms. Haching’anyu is one of the 7,970 vulnerable residents of Chisamba District in Central Province who were identified to benefit from the Drought Response - Emergency Cash Transfer (DR - ECT).  The 36 - year - old mother of three children qualified to be on the programme by virtue of her being an expectant mother.  Ms. Haching’anyu who sells vegetables and does odd jobs in the community to supplement her husband’s income says her business has been negatively affected by the drought that was experienced in the area during the 2023/2024 farming season.  “Most of my suppliers had crop failure due to poor rainfall. Others are now watering their vegetables using water from wells. However, the ground water level has gone low hence they have hiked the p...