By Lawrence Kabutu
Over 17,000 farmers across 27 districts in the country have been engaged in Sustainable Intensification Practices in smart agriculture aimed to increasing crop productivity and production.
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre Cropping System Agronomist Dr. Christian THIERFELDER says stripe cropping on farm trials are used by combining Maize and legumes to improve nutrition and household food security.
Dr. THIEFELDER named the districts in in which farmers have been engaged in strip cropping of coming legumes such as cowpeas, groundnuts, Soya beans, and cereals such as Maize as Monze and Sinda.
Others are Mazabuka, Lundazi, Chipangali, Chipata, Kasama, and Mbala, among others.
This came to light during the Ukama Ustawi and Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems (SIFAZ) field Study tour of on farm trials in Choma, Monze, and Mazabuka.
And Monze Acting Senior Agricultural Officer Taonga M’kandawire says the on farm trails are seeking to intensify crop production on the same parcel of land by producing two different crops.
Ms. M’kandawire disclosed that farmers in the area have stated carrying out the strip cropping smart agricultural practices and Sustainable Intensification Practices on their parcels of land.
Southern Province Agricultural Coordinator Dr. Max Choombe farmers will increase productivity and production when they adopt the strip cropping practices.
Dr. Choombe noted this will in turn increase household food security and nutritional security owing to the fact that they are also intercropping with legumes.
Meanwhile Principal Research Officer at Musekela Agricultural Research Institute Mulando Mwila said farmers are already increasing productivity as this is assisting the country to increase food and nutritional security.
Stress Mayaula Hamiyanda a farmer in Kazungula agricultural Camp in Monze district paid tribute to Sifaz and Ukama Ustawi projects for engaging farmers in strip cropping and Sustainable Intensification practices that are increasing yields and nutrition in the district.
Mrs. Hamiyanda said she has started practicing the smart agricultural practices on her farm as she has started realizing the benefits from the same.
Sifaz project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, Ministry of Agriculture and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).
SIFAZ project is operating in 5 Provinces and 27 districts in Zambia.
While Ukama Ustawi project operating in Southern and Eastern provinces is funded the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future.
Ukama Ustawi is operating in 2 provinces and 5 districts across the country in Monze, Mazabuka, Sinda, Lundazi, and Chipangali.
