By EUNICE MBEWE –
ZAMBIA’s agricultural sector is mainly rain-fed with 70 per cent of farmers involved in small scale farming.
The country has been experiencing adverse effects of climate change and increasing food insecurity.
The change in rainfall patterns associated with climate change has negatively affected crop production.
Extreme effects of climate change such as droughts and floods affects agriculture productivity thereby reducing household food, nutrition and income security.
This is further worsened by the lack of adequate irrigation systems to support an all-year-round production by smallholder farmers.
In line with government’s economic agenda of creating jobs, enhancing food security and eradicating poverty as enshrined in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), the Ministry of Agriculture through its extension services has come up with interventions aimed at improving the irrigation systems among the smallholder farmers.
More than 70 per cent of the irrigated fields are located close to water sources like dambos while 80 per cent of smallholder farmers use bucket irrigation.
Irrigation agriculture is the artificial application of water to the soil through various systems of tubes, pumps and sprays. Realising the importance of irrigation farming, the Department of Agriculture in Central province has continued making positive strides towards irrigation farming where they have trained farmers on the different types of irrigation systems.
Central Province Ministry of Agriculture Principal Agricultural Officer Julius Malipa notes that effects of climate change are real and farmers can no longer rely on rain fed agriculture alone, but need to embrace irrigated agriculture to strengthen climate resilience and implement mitigation measures aimed at scaling-up sustainable and climate smart crop production, land management practices and irrigation farming.
“Farmers need to use irrigation to generate more income, to be food secure throughout the year because irrigation agriculture is an all year round activity,” he explained.
Mr Malipa revealed government had constructed a number of dams in Mumbwa and Chisamba districts which are utilised for irrigation and farmers have formed cooperatives who are making use of these dams to irrigate their crops.
With irrigation systems in place, farmers have now started growing cash crops to earn a living. Tatwaitemwa cooperative is a new cooperative that was formed in November 2021 with more than 20 members comprising of women, men and youth.
The cooperative ventured into horticultural crops using bucket irrigation.
Among the many vegetables they grow are okra, tomatoes and cabbages.
The cooperative is based in Natuseko camp in Kabwe.
Farmers have seen the benefits of irrigation as they can now grow vegetables throughout the year to feed their families and sell to the local markets.
Patrick Chanda, is the chairperson of Tatwaitemwa cooperative and he believes that growing vegetables all year round will increase income generation among households.
Mr Chanda observed that farmers have a tendency of depending on maize production which is seasonal but if they should make money throughout the year then they need to venture into irrigation agriculture where they can grow vegetables all year round.
“In the past we used to have challenges of taking our children to school but now we are managing because of the income that we are generating from the cooperative when we sell the vegetables;We also empower widows and orphans who buy crops from us and re-sale at the local markets in town,” he said.
Jennifer Nkhata who is a member of the Tatwaitemwa cooperative has seen the importance of nutrition for children under the age of 5years old so, for her growing vegetables is a good source of vitamins for the family.
Ms Nkhata has observed that since they started growing vegetables, the community is able to use the same vegetables to feed their families and as a result cases of malnutrition among children under the age of 5 years have reduced.
And 29-year-old graduate from the University of Zambia Haggai Banda who studied Business Administration is encouraging young people to venture into agriculture than waiting when one retires and does not have enough strength to cultivate the land.
“Agriculture is the best school because one does not need any papers to enrol as long as you have the skills to cultivate the land,” he said.
Mr Banda also said that youths need to embrace farming and refrain from bad habits such as stealing and drinking alcohol.
He also noted that youths are energetic and have the strength to do farming compared to old people who have little strength.
However, he lamented the lack of inputs such as fertilizers and chemicals and garden equipment for irrigation such as tins, pumps and sprays which are needed if they have to improve with their production and productivity.
The cooperative has made a passionate appeal to the government, the private sector and well-wishers to assist with better irrigation equipment to enable them increase their area under cultivation and easily irrigate their crops.
It is clear empowering small scale farmers with irrigation mechanisms will boost agriculture production yields in Zambia. – NAIS