By Mathews Nyirenda
The Ministry of Agriculture in Northern Province says it is likely to record a bumper harvest in the 2023/2024 season due to timely distribution of farming inputs as well as good rainfall pattern being experienced.
Speaking during a research study tour with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) under the European Union funded Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems (SIFAZ) Project in Zambia which is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Northern Province Agricultural Coordinator (PACO) Innocent Mulauzi observed that most farmers planted on time that they have not recorded any crop damages due dry spells, pests and diseases.
Mr. Mulauzi has said that the province has experienced continuous rainfall that the fall armyworm infestation rate has been very low.
“For the first time since the Faw Army Worms (FAW) outbreak during the 2015/2016 farming season, in the current season, Northern Province has recorded a very low infestation rate at only two to three percent,” he explained.
Mr. Mulauzi said government sent 450 000 litres of FAW chemicals which was supplied to all parts of the province so that no gap was left for farmers to record low yields.
The PACO attributed these achievements to the early distribution of farming inputs under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP)
“The crop stand across the province is very encouraging with most maize crops being at cob formation stage. If we continue receiving good rainfall as it has been, we will record another bumper harvest,, he said.
Mr. Mulauzi further said that farmers have also practiced sustainable intensified farming practices that have reduced crop failure due to climate shocks.
And CIMMYT Cropping Systems Agronomist Christian Theirfelder has observed that there is still need for more farmers to experiment and adopt researched farming technologies into their own fields.
Dr. Theirfelder said that for farmers to achieve high production and productivity in advent of climate change, they need to move from traditional farming practices to climate smart farming practices.
Masamba Camp Extension Officer, Opah Maumbi, has narrated that the SIFAZ project has improved the extension service delivery in her camp by providing her with transport which was a challenge in the previous years.
Ms. Maumbi said the project has also established demonstration fields where farmers compare various farming technologies that are easy to practice and adopt.
The SIFAZ project is being implemented in two parts under the Ministry of Agriculture namely research and promotional components in the 27 districts of Zambia and is scheduled to phase out in 2027. – NAIS
