Mukupa Writes

Firm swinging over climate change storm By Linda Mupemo  Zambeef Cheese Maker Lucy Zulu shows off one of her latest products.  Zambia,like many other countries world over, is grappling with adverse effects of climate change.  Climate change has led to the country experiencing natural calamities lately such as floods, water scarcity, droughts and food insecurity.  Following the drought the nation experienced in the 2023/2024 farming season, Government is implementing various social protection programmes aimed at mitigating hunger in vulnerable households.  However, eradicating food insecurity in Zambia calls for concerted efforts from various stakeholders especially in the agriculture sector.  Zambeef Products, one of the largest agri-businesses in Zambia, is a player in the agriculture sector that has stepped up its  efforts in food production to help enhance food security in the country. The integrated business is mainly involved in the production, pr...

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   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...