Maravi

(HERALD) Conservation agriculture to boost food security

Conservation agriculture to boost food security
Friday, 02 March 2012 00:00
Agriculture Reporter

GOVERNEMNT with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa has launched the Conservation Agriculture Up-scaling Framework for Zimbabwe. The framework seeks to map the most effective way of promoting the technology to boost food security and well being of local farmers.

Improvement in crop productivity derived from implementing conservation agriculture will not only impact at household level but go even further and contribute to the national efforts of achieving the Millennium Development Goals of Eradicating Extreme Hunger and Poverty.

Officially launching the framework, Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation Development permanent secretary, Mr Ngoni Masoka said in recognition of the production constraints being faced by the farming community, the ministry adopted conservation agriculture as one of the sustainable technologies to improve productivity.

“Conservation agriculture addresses the problem of low erratic rainfall through the use of technologies that reduce water losses and increase infiltration and low soil nutrient status by reducing top soil loss and increasing soil carbon and nitrogen through the use of organic soil cover and legume in rotations and interactions,” he said.

Mr Masoka said conservation agriculture has been identified as having the potential to reduce the impact of many factors that constrain agricultural production.

However, like any new technology, it needs to be introduced in an appropriate manner to increase its uptake among farmers and enhance its impact.

“Promoting a technology without any specific guidelines may result in conflicting messages getting to the farmer, thereby reducing the benefits that the farmers can derive from the technology,” he said.

Mr Masoka urged all stakeholders attending the launch to seriously consider the guidelines provided in the framework and incorporate them into their work plans and daily activities to boost food production and attaining environmental sustainability.

The number of local farmers practicing conservation agriculture has increased tremendously from just over 5 000 in 2003/4 season to over 350 000 farmers covering an area approximately 150 000 hectares during the 2011/2 season. Mr Masoka said 130 000 of these farmers were implementing conservation agriculture without any input support.

“This implies that our efforts are bearing fruit and farmers are realising the benefits of this technology,” he said.

Zimbabwe targets to get 500 000 farmers implementing conservation agriculture over 250 000 hectares by 2015.

Speaking at the same function, FAO Mr Martin Ager said in June 2010, Government, FAO and Comesa brought together a distinguished group of experts to come up with the CA Up-scaling framework document.

The launch of the framework, he said, was in line with developments across Southern Africa based on the work of a number of different governments and other stakeholders.

Labels: COMESA, CONSERVATION FARMING, FAO

posted by MrK @ 10:45 PM