By TEMWA CHUNGU
THE Ministry of Agriculture in Kasama District, Northern Province has urged farmers to embrace crop diversification by not only growing maize crops but include crops like rice, tomatoes, finger-millet, groundnuts that could give them income throughout the year.
The ministry has identified several alternative crops with high market demand, including wheat, tomatoes, finger millet and rice. These crops offer opportunities to diversify their production and tap into emerging markets.
Senior Agricultural Officer John Chilundika, said crop diversification is a critical strategy for achieving sustainable agricultural development. By growing a variety of crops such as wheat, farmers can reduce vulnerability to climate change, improve soil healthy and increase access to markets.
Mr Chilundika stressed that amongst the crops that Government is trying to promote is wheat which has been introduced in the district through the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU).
“Amongst the things government is trying to promote is wheat, which has very high profitability and we are telling our farmers diversify in line with the government policy,” he said.
And Agriculture Assistant Kasalina Sanama of Chilubanama camp urged farmers to work in collaboration with the government in order to improve their agricultural productivity.
Ms Sanama further emphasized during a field demonstration and monitoring, the importance of farmers to engage in other agricultural farming activities in order to promote and enhance good nutrition among households and to always participate in the field days because they will learn new farming technologies and techniques that would practically be used and applied in their fields.
“We have a study group that is doing tomato production and our focus is to encourage other famers no just to depend on maize but other crops too in order to make more profit for their household,” she said.
Ms Sanama also added that crop diversification has so many benefits such as improving food security, increasing household income and improve soil fertility.
One of the farmers from Chilubanama, Francis Chanda said marketeers travel from as far as New location to just come and buy tomatoes and other crops which in return gives them profit.
“By growing a variety of crops in a country like Zambia, farmers increase their income and improve resilience to climate change and market fluctuation,” she said.
Climate change is having a profound impact on Zambia’s agricultural sector, threatening food security and economic stability. However, crop diversification, helps farmers to adapt to climate change, improve food security and boost their income. –NAIS
