Mukupa Writes

By Linda Mupemo A field of organic vegetables at Loctaguna Organics - Picture by PELUM Zambia Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zambia has commended government for embarking on the development of the first ever national agroecology strategy which is set to promote the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices in the country. PELUM Zambia Communications Officer Rebecca Botha said the agroecology strategy will feed into the national agriculture policy thereby attracting funding to the sector.  ZANIS reports that Ms. Botha said this during a Food Jam recently held at Loctaguna Organics, in New Kasama, which was aimed at equipping Journalists with practical knowledge on sustainable agriculture methods such as agroecology.  She noted that promoting the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices calls for concerted efforts from various stakeholders adding that Journalists have a vital role to play in raising awareness through disseminating information ...

By Linda Mupemo David Musonda applies animal manure in his field David Musonda shovels up goat and sheep droppings from the floor of his kraal.   He and his two sons put it in buckets. They later head to their crop field which is a stone's throw away from their home in Chisensa village in Milenge District.    Mr. Musonda applies the animal droppings in his field where he has planted garden eggplants, cabbages, tomatoes and other vegetables.   He is one of the small scale farmers practicing organic agriculture in Milenge district in Luapula Province.    “I have 18 sheep, 11 goats and 10 chickens. These produce up to four bags of droppings fortnightly weighing 50 kilograms ," he says.    In organic agriculture, farmers produce their crops using natural fertilisers such as animal manure and compost as opposed to using synthetic fertilisers. Additionally, organic pesticides are used to control pests.      Mr....

By Linda Mupemo   It is common practice for farmers in Zambia to start tilling their crop fields towards the end of summer (October) in preparation for the planting season.   2021 was not an exception, by the first week of November, most farmers had prepared their fields. Zambia experiences the   rainy season from November to April the following year. However, the disruption in the rainfall pattern for the 2021/2022 farming season sent shockwaves into the agriculture sector. By mid-December, most parts of the country were receiving below average rainfall.  Farmers  who planted their seeds after the first rains had dry, stunted crops towards the end of the year. Suffice to say a good number of farmers in the rural parts of the country solely depend on agriculture to sustain themselves. Therefore, any disturbance in their agricultural activities, natural or man-made, leads to the destabilisation of their livelihoods. Justine Musangu, a beneficiary o...