Zambia signs conservation farming agreement
By Henry Sinyangwe
Thu 20 June 2013, 14:00 CAT
ZAMBIA has signed a four-year conservation agriculture agreement with the European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organisation aimed at increasing crop production.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative to Zambia George Okech said conservation agriculture approach had become a preferred means of promoting agriculturein the rural parts of Zambia.
"The CA approach has become a preferred means of promoting agriculture development for 40 per cent of rural population in Zambia who depend primarily on agriculture for survival. It saves labour, makes efficient use of inputs, produces higher yields and is environmentally friendly. It also provides better resilience against floods and prevents soil erosion," Okech said.
Soil degradation, high input prices, poor produce markets and poor market prices are some of the challenges the project will address.
According to a statement, the project would operate in three districts and work with both extension workers and progressive farmers to target 315,000 beneficiaries.
EU development commissioner Andris Piebalgs said Zambia had made great progress in developing its agriculture and mining sectors.
"Yet despite its remarkable economic growth, Zambia is still one of the most unequal countries in the world. I hope that the agreement will help make sure that…the country's growth benefits the whole population, not just a few," he said.
Piebalgs also signed the contracts for the rehabilitation of Great East Road at a cost of EUR118 million and a financing agreement for support to non-state actors worth EUR5.5 million.
Labels: CONSERVATION FARMING, FAO
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Farmer urges diversification
By Vincent Chilikima in Solwezi
Fri 07 June 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - 'Conservation farmer'? Does that mean he has declared part of his giant estate a 'nature reserve'? Just wondering, because that is a trick you keep running into over and over.
A CONSERVATION farmer in Ikeleng'i district says there is need for Zambia to transform her economical base from mining to agriculture.
In an interview, Tom Robertson said despite copper currently being Zambia's major source of revenue, it could not be relied upon to sustain the economy in the long term because minerals were a non-renewable resource.
He added that notwithstanding copper being a non-renewable asset, Zambia in the mid 70's experienced a massive reduction of copper prices which brought severe negative effects on the national economy, adding that history had a tendency of repeating itself.
Robertson suggested that the way forward was to massively direct energies into developing the agricultural sector because Zambia actually had enormous potential to feed up to 200 million people.
He explained that Zambia's agricultural potential lay in her 45 million hectares of arable land and her possession of 45 per cent of southern Africa's waters adding that her direct linkage to eight countries that surround her provided Zambia with gateways and a huge agriculture market opportunity within and beyond the central and southern regions of Africa.
Robertson added that there was urgent need for the nation to pragmatically and assertively promote conservation agriculture in order to drastically reduce the cost of production whilst improving crop productivity and production which would result in increased household and national incomes through exports.
He emphasised that adopting conservation agriculture would guarantee long-term sustainable wealth creation and improve the standards of living at both household and national level.
Robertson said conservation farming could only be profitable if all operations were done on time.
He further said there was a lot of wastage through the burning of crop residues in conventional farming adding that such a practice was an environmental hazard because it significantly contributed to the depletion of soil fertility.
Meanwhile, the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research has disclosed that the institute was carrying out research work with pineapple farmers in Ikeleng'i district.
NISIR executive director Professor Francis Tembo disclosed that the institute was conducting a project with the local farming community with the main objective of increasing the productivity and production of pineapples and improving the crop quality for marketing.
Prof Tembo explained that unlike the local farmers who use the top part of the pineapple fruit as seed, NISIR was using tissue culture to multiply the seedlings and thereafter select the seedlings for planting according to similarity of variety and other characteristics that would lead to uniformity of production.
He further explained that uniformity of the fruits in terms of size and consistency in sweetness would fetch local farmers a good price and meet the standards required for the factory market adding that an Indian firm had currently carried out feasibility studies for the possibility of establishing a pineapple canning factory in Ikeleng'i district.
Tembo said NISIR's project was aimed at enhancing the identification of Ikeleng'i district as the national hub of an economic cluster of pineapples and thereby propelling a value addition chain from production through to processing, marketing and export.
"Once a factory and value addition chain is established, there will be need for consistent supply to meet the orders," he said.
He explained that NISIR was mandated to conduct research in industry, technology and scientific matters adding that they are currently producing baby foods using locally grown crops such as cow peas, soybeans, groundnuts, bambaranuts and were also behind the production of the popular Maheu drink in addition to the Tip Top soft drink which was introduced during the UNIP government.
"We have also producing an improved cook stove which uses coal as an alternative to charcoal and firewood in order to curb deforestation," said Tembo.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION FARMING, FRANCIS TEMBO, TOM ROBERTSON
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Farmer urges diversification
By Vincent Chilikima in Solwezi
Fri 07 June 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - 'Conservation farmer'? Does that mean he has declared part of his giant estate a 'nature reserve'? Just wondering, because that is a trick you keep running into over and over.
A CONSERVATION farmer in Ikeleng'i district says there is need for Zambia to transform her economical base from mining to agriculture.
In an interview, Tom Robertson said despite copper currently being Zambia's major source of revenue, it could not be relied upon to sustain the economy in the long term because minerals were a non-renewable resource.
He added that notwithstanding copper being a non-renewable asset, Zambia in the mid 70's experienced a massive reduction of copper prices which brought severe negative effects on the national economy, adding that history had a tendency of repeating itself.
Robertson suggested that the way forward was to massively direct energies into developing the agricultural sector because Zambia actually had enormous potential to feed up to 200 million people.
He explained that Zambia's agricultural potential lay in her 45 million hectares of arable land and her possession of 45 per cent of southern Africa's waters adding that her direct linkage to eight countries that surround her provided Zambia with gateways and a huge agriculture market opportunity within and beyond the central and southern regions of Africa.
Robertson added that there was urgent need for the nation to pragmatically and assertively promote conservation agriculture in order to drastically reduce the cost of production whilst improving crop productivity and production which would result in increased household and national incomes through exports.
He emphasised that adopting conservation agriculture would guarantee long-term sustainable wealth creation and improve the standards of living at both household and national level.
Robertson said conservation farming could only be profitable if all operations were done on time.
He further said there was a lot of wastage through the burning of crop residues in conventional farming adding that such a practice was an environmental hazard because it significantly contributed to the depletion of soil fertility.
Meanwhile, the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research has disclosed that the institute was carrying out research work with pineapple farmers in Ikeleng'i district.
NISIR executive director Professor Francis Tembo disclosed that the institute was conducting a project with the local farming community with the main objective of increasing the productivity and production of pineapples and improving the crop quality for marketing.
Prof Tembo explained that unlike the local farmers who use the top part of the pineapple fruit as seed, NISIR was using tissue culture to multiply the seedlings and thereafter select the seedlings for planting according to similarity of variety and other characteristics that would lead to uniformity of production.
He further explained that uniformity of the fruits in terms of size and consistency in sweetness would fetch local farmers a good price and meet the standards required for the factory market adding that an Indian firm had currently carried out feasibility studies for the possibility of establishing a pineapple canning factory in Ikeleng'i district.
Tembo said NISIR's project was aimed at enhancing the identification of Ikeleng'i district as the national hub of an economic cluster of pineapples and thereby propelling a value addition chain from production through to processing, marketing and export.
"Once a factory and value addition chain is established, there will be need for consistent supply to meet the orders," he said.
He explained that NISIR was mandated to conduct research in industry, technology and scientific matters adding that they are currently producing baby foods using locally grown crops such as cow peas, soybeans, groundnuts, bambaranuts and were also behind the production of the popular Maheu drink in addition to the Tip Top soft drink which was introduced during the UNIP government.
"We have also producing an improved cook stove which uses coal as an alternative to charcoal and firewood in order to curb deforestation," said Tembo.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION FARMING, FRANCIS TEMBO, TOM ROBERTSON
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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
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COMMENT - The writer needs to go beyond his basic knowledge of what was basically the concensus on farming 30 (or was it 60) years ago. Small is better, especially when you have a people oriented agriculture. Some book references below.
Killing the environment for a living
Tuesday, 28 February 2012 00:00
Kudakwashe Collen Chirigo
Features Correspondent
Poverty is a rural dilemma and continues to be a persistent multi-dimensional problem in Zimbabwe and the Sadc region. It is associated with poor farmers, small farm systems, the landless, resource endowments and the socio-economic environment.
Since agricultural growth is central to improved livelihoods, strategies that focus on promoting such an expansion are critical: Improved efficiency in natural resource management according to the Devendra, C et al, 2002. Sustainability of agricultural systems and the environment, and enhancement of social stability are vital to improved living standards.
The poorest of the poor eke out their precarious living from natural resources like forests, rivers, lakes and environmental degradation would undoubtedly have its effects on them.
The over-reliance on and occupation of such lands is mainly because of poverty, whereby locals extend cropping to fragile lands which they think are fertile but instead degrading them.
[Actually, what the writer is describing is erosion that is the result of overcrowding, which has been decreed by colonial, apartheid and UDI era land policies, and which only recently have been remedied by the Zimbabwean government. In fact, small farms are far more efficient in their land and resource use, and distribute wealth over much larger a section of the population than the large factory farms. They also do much less damage to the environment than the factory farms, whose damage is largely externalised and left for the general society to deal with. For instance, what is the cost to the world of the creation of anti-biotic resistant bacteria, because chickens are raised in such cramped conditions that they need to be fed antibiotics all the time, so they don't die of communicable diseases? Overcrowding of chickens on factory farms are also why there are these 'bird flue' epidemics. Then there is the tendency to feed livestock hormones to make them grow faster - this too ends up in your system and shows up as diseases later on. Check out: Food Inc. - MrK]
This has been the norm in many areas and has been eating the flesh of mother earth leaving the poor communities in a worse off situation.
The communities “unconsciously” keep degrading these areas as they practise traditional ways of farming.
[That is just a myth. In fact, the myth of the 'bad farmer' was just a colonial era campaign slogan, to artificially have Africans produce less maize. - MrK]
They also try to intensify farming so as to increase their harvests and fill up granaries, but this increases the rate of environmental degradation.
This is the picture in most areas that were recently occupied in Ngaone area of Chipinge.
Deforestation, streambank cultivation leading to increased river pollution and silted dams have become a common phenomenon in the area.
[All of which can be avoided or (in the case of streambank cultivation) can be made beneficial through intercropping. - MrK]
Since occupation of this land, there has been massive depletion of natural resources that includes over- extraction of underground water, decreased soil fertility, soil erosion, and deforestation and overgrazing.
[All of which are signs of overcrowding, not the nature of small scale farming. - MrK]
Livestock and wild animals are slowly migrating to better areas and if no action is taken they will soon die of starvation.
The people around this area are destroying their home and source of livelihood.
The problem is rooted at the household level where families practise shifting cultivation.
Though the effects of the farming practise maybe insignificant at the household level, it must be borne in mind that these small actions can lead to bigger problems that may be irreversible.
Streambank cultivation, which is being practised along the tributaries of Tanganda River, has caused, in just few years now, siltation of the local dams which used to supply cattle, donkeys and goats with drinking water.
Finally, those who are downstream risk losing their livelihoods too because they also depend on these rivers for water for farming and for their livestock.
Residents seem to forget that livestock is an important part of livelihood.
For instance, cattle can be used for draught power, is a source of organic fertiliser (manure) and even as a substitute for firewood, milk and traditional ceremonies.
Cattle can be barter traded with maize, groundnuts and other basic commodities during years of drought.
[Personally I am much more in favour of veganic and no-till farming, which actually build soil and make the same piece of land available for farming forever. - MrK]
Uncontrolled burning of grass and trees by these farmers has also left the area prone to massive erosion as soil cover is constantly removed by different weather elements.
Soil is losing its fertility through erosion such that in just few years these areas will no longer be productive. Besides degrading the land through cultivation, erosion and veld fires, it has been noted as well that grazing areas are becoming less and less and fears are that this will result in reduced community herd.
[First of all, burning has a place in hot weather agriculture. If you look at California's forest fires, they are mainly because there are no more Native Americans who used controlled burning as a forest management technique. Because Europeans came from wet environments, they thought that all fires were bad. As a result, you get uncontrolled fires which kill many and destroy property. That's simplifying things, but that is basically what happened. - MrK]
Supplies of manure, milk, and even meat will go down as a result.
Unsustainable agricultural methods such as streambank cultivation have led to siltation of rivers like Tanganda
Meat and selling of cattle are usually excluded because these are not the priorities for keeping livestock in Ngaone as indicated by the take off statistics.
The reduction of the community herd means reduced yields since less manure will be applied and less draught power available to till the land.
This further impoverishes the Ngaone farmers.
The main reason why Ngaone residents have concentrated themselves in such areas is because they want to benefit from wetlands.
Wetlands contribute in diverse ways to the livelihoods of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In many places they are inextricably linked to cropping and livestock management systems.
At the same time, increasing population in conjunction with efforts to increase food security puts a lot of pressure to expand agriculture within wetlands.
The environmental impact of wetlands agriculture can, however, have profound social and economic repercussions for people dependent on ecosystem services other than those provided directly by agriculture.
An Agritex Officer in Ngaone, Mrs Spiwe Dhliwayo, said that she is aware of the situation and has been advising farmers to stop all practices that have a negative impact on the environment.
“The problem is that the farmers are still hungry for land and have no capital to engage in agricultural practices suitable for the area,” she said.
Headman Tsododo also of Ngaone pointed out that it has become increasingly difficult to stop farmers from using that land considering that the household plots were already exhausted and no longer yielding anything.
“Their plots are no longer producing any meaningful harvests. As such the people are going around looking for virgin land to increase their yield.
“This has forced them to settle in areas unsuitable for crop production,” he said.
A local farmer, Mr Learnmore Chigariso, pointed out that the recurring droughts forced him and other farmers to go and farm on the wetlands.
“There are no irrigation facilities to supply water during the dry spells and most people around this area cannot afford to buy fertilisers to keep their land productive.
“This has forced the majority of farmers to move into wetlands,” he said.
There is therefore great need to increase awareness among Ngaone farmers and others countrywide on the dangers of engaging in bad agricultural practices which destroy the environment.
Farmers countrywide must take note of the fact that improved agricultural production systems, both in crop and livestock production, without degrading the environment, can increasingly make a significant contribution to improved human welfare, rural growth and reduced poverty and is sustainable such that the next generation will also earn a living from the same natural resources.
l Kudakwashe Collen Chirigo is graduate agricultural economist from the University of Zimbabwe.
[There are a few good books on small scale agriculture, and farming concepts:
Natural Farming, by Masanobu Fukuoka (workbook)
The One Straw Revolution, by Masanobu Fukuoka (Concepts)
Sepp Holzer's Permaculture, by Sepp Holzer
Before starting to defend factory farming or large farming estates, check them out first. - MrK]
Labels: CONSERVATION FARMING, NATURAL FARMING
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Farmers intensify land preparations
Friday, 21 October 2011 00:00
Obert Chifamba Senior Agriculture Reporter
FARMERS in most of the country's provinces took advantage of the rains that fell recently to intensify their land preparations ahead of the 2011/12 cropping season.
In a recent tour of the Manicaland province, The Herald established that farmers using conservation farming methods had already started digging planting stations in their fields.
Some were using ox-drawn ploughs to till the land. Farmers in the Honde Valley and Nyanga districts said they wanted to have all their fields ready before the start of the rainfall season to ease off pressure. The rains are expected between end of October and mid November.
"We know the time is not yet ripe for us to start planting but we will be watching the developments in the weather closely so that we plant with the first actual rains.
"What we are seeing now could just be what we used to know as "bumharutsva" (rains that precede the start of the actual season) so this is the time to wrap up preparations," Spring Valley farmer Mr Edwin Chitere said.
Mr Chitere has a three-hectare farm between Nyanga and Rusape that he acquired in 2000 under the Government's land reform programme. He was equally busy ploughing his fields.
In Nyanga and Honde Valley the situation was the same as farmers were busy clearing and ploughing their fields.
The farmers' commonest complaint was on the prices of fertilisers and seed, which they say are rather unaffordable.
"We are getting fertilisers at prices ranging from US$30 to US$37 depending on the type of the fertiliser.
"Seed is selling for between US$22 and US$28 for a 10kg pocket depending on the variety while a 25kg pocket of seed is attracting prices ranging from US$48 to US$100 here," one Nyanga farmer who did not want to be named said.
In some retail outlets a 10kg of seed maize is selling for between US$19 and US$24 while the 25kg pocket is also priced at between US$47 and US$90 depending on the variety and performance ratings.
Also, in Mashonaland West province, most smallholder farmers have since started tilling land or are mid-way through while those in wetlands have started planting.
Some of the farmers are still ferrying animal and compost manure to their farms and even burning last season's crop residues in readiness for ploughing.
In Mhondoro, for instance, some farmers in wet areas have already planted and their crops are likely to emerge in the wake of the recent rains.
Similarly, farmers in the Mashonaland East province's Murewa, Mutoko and Mudzi districts have also intensified their preparations as they race to beat the first rains.
Their key focus at the moment is getting the land ready for planting though some are still complaining over delayed payments for grain they delivered to the Grain Marketing Board, which they said was checking their momentum.
In Masvingo province farmers started land preparations as far back as August after some rains that the farmers said signalled the end of winter.
Zaka and Chiredzi districts, for instance, that are traditionally dry, were also fortunate to receive the rains.
This gave the farmers the opportunity to start preparing their lands.
The recent rains that are reported to have covered most parts of the country will naturally add impetus to their preparations.
The Meteorological Department and Agritex have since indicated that the rains did not signal the start of the season so farmers needed not plant.
Manicaland Provincial Agricultural Extension Officer Mr Godfrey Mamhare also advised farmers in his province to shelve the planting of maize and other grains but plant tobacco as the rains could nourish the crop until the onset of the season.
The province, he said, was targeting to plant 9 000ha of tobacco and 300 000ha of maize this coming season and had already done 20 percent of their land preparations for the 2011/12 season before the latest wet spell.
"We received 3 000 tonnes of seed maize, 60 tonnes of sorghum, 25 000 tonnes of basal and another 25 000 tonnes of top dressing fertilisers respectively under the Government's US$45m input facility," said Mr Mamhare recently.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION FARMING, MANICALAND
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Conservation farming takes root in Zaka
Friday, 29 July 2011 02:00
By Obert Chifamba recently in ZAKA
MANY communal farmers in Zaka district in Masvingo have switched from conventional land tillage practices to zero tillage. They say this is more reliable than the former in the face of adverse weather conditions.
In a recent tour of the district, The Herald discovered that the majority of the farmers had already started digging planting basins in their fields ahead of the 2011/12 agricultural season.
However, a few were still sticking to draught power and using oxen to winter plough their fields. Mr George Zvemhara of Chimedza Village under Chief Ndanga, whose family was busy digging basins, said the non-governmental organisation, CARE had introduced the method to them.
He said many families had improved their yields after adopting the new farming method.
"Our yields have vastly improved and we are now reaping adequate grain for our domestic purposes. We have been doing this for the past three years.
"Last season I even held a maize field day. I had an acre and a quarter that yielded one and half tonnes, which is enough to feed my family until the next harvest," said Mr Zvemhara.
He said conservation agriculture had come as a blessing to his community as most of them had no resources to buy fertilisers and enable them to salvage some grain even in very difficult seasons.
"The method also allows those who do not have draught power to plant with the first rains as they only need to dig their planting basins during the dry season and wait for the rains," he explained.
A Zaka district Agritex officer concurred.
"This area falls under natural farming region 3 that has an average annual rainfall of 650 mm and above but very erratic in most cases so the method allows farmers to beat planting deadlines.
"It also helps control soil erosion and promotes the use of minimal moisture, which is good in the face of the current global warming challenges.
"With this method the farmer only disturbs the soil where he intends to plant and leaves the rest of the land untouched, which allows it to re-gain its old structure," said the Agritex official who preferred to be anonymous.
Additionally, the method promotes the efficient use of manure as only the planting station receives either the manure or fertiliser, he said.
He, however, said the method was labour intensive and needed farmers to have reliable sources of manpower.
"But farmers seem to have found an answer to this challenge and are working in groups. They use their numbers to make the task less cumbersome," said the official.
Labels: CONSERVATION FARMING
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Embrace conservation farming-Farmers tipped
Sunday, May 8, 2011, 4:17 pm
Vice President George Kunda’s wife Ireen, has stressed the need for farmers in the country to embrace conservation farming in a bid to boost agriculture production.
Addressing farmers during the presentation of 224 bicycles to 28 farmers from eight farming camps of Serenje in Central Province yesterday, Mrs. Kunda also urged small scale farmers in the district to adopt conservation farming to enhance their crop yields.
ZANIS reports that Mrs. Kunda said Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives with support from the United Nations (UN) agency Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) deliberately introduced conservation farming as a way of achieving agriculture production hence increasing food security at both household and national levels.
Mrs. Kunda who was accompanied by some Ministers’ spouses among them Central Province Minister Ackimson Banda’s wife advised small scale farmers to apply principles on conservation farming among them minimum soil tillage, timely planting and application of fertilizer and crop rotation noting that if properly applied these could help improve crop yields.
Mrs. Kunda told the farmers to seriously adhere to the principles of conservation farming, if the country was to experience another superfluous crop yields.
Mrs. Kunda who told the gathering that the presentation of bicycles was a continuation of an exercise which was started by the First Lady added that the distribution was done in Chieftainess and Chief Mailo’s chiefdoms.
She further advised farmers to use the bicycles they had received to monitor performance of conservation farming in their respective camps and not for other purposes.
Among beneficiaries of the bicycles comprised farming camps such as:Mbaswa, Chimupati, Kamena, Kabundi,Chibobo,Muchinka, Mulilima and Chisebwa.
Serenje District Commissioner, Stanley Chibwana and District Agriculture Coordinator Kennedy Mulenga were also present during the event.
ZANIS
Labels: CONSERVATION FARMING
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Thandiwe urges dealers not to frustrate farmers
By Sandra Lombe
Sun 23 May 2010, 04:00 CAT
FIRST lady Thandiwe Banda says agro-dealers should not frustrate Conservation Agriculture (CA) farmers.
Speaking in Kapiri Mposhi on Thursday when she officiated at the hand over of bicycles to 588 CA farmers, Thandiwe urged agro-dealers in the district to immediately start preparing and stocking up for this year’s farming season.
“Do not frustrate our Conservation Agriculture farmers. Please provide quality implements and agro inputs in order for them to yield positive results in their farming,” she said.
“The same goes to the extension staff in all agricultural camps.”
Thandiwe also urged extension staff to ensure that they continue visiting the farmers on a regular basis, as there would be no excuse of lack of transport after being provided with transport and logical support.
“Besides, this town has very fertile soils and a favourable climate to ably support agricultural production and productivity. I have been informed that Kapiri Mposhi has a total of 35, 133 registered farmers out of a population of about 240,000 people,” she said.
Thandiwe said the district could not fail to produce enough food to feed its population and still export the surplus to other provinces and countries.
FAO country representative Noureddin Mona pledged his organisation’s commitment in conservation agriculture.
“As FAO we are committed to working with government so as to build farmers resilience to exogenous shocks and improving food security over long term,” said Mona.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION FARMING, FARMERS, THANDIWE BANDA
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COMMENT - Again, this is very basic stuff. 5.2 pH is very low and I wonder if sugar beans are unique in being able to handle such a low pH. PH can be raised by adding humus to the soil, either from compost or from living plants through green manuring or growing plants with extensive root systems like sorghum. Decomposition of roots can be speeded up by regularly grazing-flooding the field. Usually, it are the higher elevation, sandy soils which wash out that have these low pH levels. Increasing humus levels is a longer term solution than liming. Sometimes I think the methods of these commercial farmers are praised, but they are really old-fashioned. People should check into no-till farming, and
Natural Farming for outlying land.
Tips on growing sugar beans
Agriculture Reporter
Sugar beans can be grown throughout Zimbabwe but there are several factors that may affect production.
According to Seed Co’s 2010/11 product manual, lack of water and frost may also affect sugar beans production.
l Choose varieties that are resistant to diseases.
l Sugar beans are prone to diseases transmitted by seed and farmers should only use good quality disease-free seed. It is not advisable to use retained seed from year to year.
l Plant well in drained fertile soils.
l Sugar beans are sensitive to acid soils and liming is important, ideal pH (acidity and alkalinity) is 5,2.
l Sugar beans respond to basal manure and fertilizer application. A light application of top dressing fertilizer of 100 kg-per hectare at flowering stage is beneficial.
l Thiram seed treatment before planting will improve plant stand.
l Dressing with insecticide will reduce seedling losses due to bean stem maggot.
l Farmers should scout for diseases such as rust, angular leaf spot and anthracnose. Beware of bacterial and viral diseases. Control with fungicides as necessary.
l Check for pests such as bean fly maggot, aphids, thrips and bollworms.
l Sugar beans do not perform well under excessive water during growing or very hot conditions when flowering.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION FARMING, NATURAL FARMING
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COMMENT - This is all very basic stuff.
Early planting critical
By Elita Chikwati
Crop yields can be improved by ensuring early establishment at the beginning of the season. The most important factor for successful crop establishment is to ensure maximum crop seed germination and emergence through early planting.
The Agritex handbook on conservation farming states that early crop establishment is planting seed as soon as conditions for germination and emergence are right.
Planting time, however, depends on the amount of rainfall received in the area, soil type, and the crop one wants to grow.
For instance, farmers in low rainfall areas may get sufficient rains by the middle of November while those in very dry areas may have to delay planting until mid-December.
Early planting ensures the best use of water during the growing season and also means a longer growing season so crops can reach full maturity and produce better yields.
It is advisable to plant in the morning or late afternoon. This retains soil moisture for quicker seed germination and emergence. Experts also discourage farmers from planting all their area at the same time. It is best to spread the risk of drought by planting on different dates.
Farmers should ensure seed is planted at the correct depth. The depth, however, depends on the type of seed to be planted and soil type.
Small grains such as cotton or sorghum should be planted at shallower depths than large seed such as maize.
If seed is planted too deep, the seedlings will die before they reach the surface.
On the other hand if the seed is planted too shallow, the soil may become dry and the seed may die before it emerges.
Seed soaking
If one can not plant soon after the rains and the soil becomes dry, seed can be soaked in water overnight before planting.
This will give the seed moisture to help them germinate and emerge faster.
Seed covering
It is important that seed has good contact with the soil around it so that it can take up water from the soil.
Seed should be properly covered after planting.
Soil capping
When it rains heavily, raindrops can cause the soil to foam a hard layer on the surface.
This hard layer can prevent seedlings from emerging above the soil surface causing poor crop establishment. Breaking the cap will improve seed emergence.
The cap can be broken using a hoe, feet or a harrow. Using mulch also protects the soil from forming a cap.
Labels: CONSERVATION FARMING
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