News

THE European Union (EU) has provided about 7.5 million Euros to support conservation farming in Zambia.The funding went through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO) for two seasons from 2009 to 2011.Head of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Emergency programme in Zambia Jim Belemu said the funding was covering 12 districts and was targeting 58,000 farmers.Dr Belemu said in Lusaka that the districts covered included Kalomo, Choma, Monze and Mazabuka in Southern Province and Mumbwa, Chibombo and Kapiri Mposhi in Central Province.Other districts are Chongwe in Lusaka Province and Katete, Petauke and Chipata in Eastern as well as Kaoma in Western Province.

And Royal Norwegian Embassy counsellor and regional adviser on Natural Resource Management Odd Eirik Arnesen said Norway was committed to supporting conservation farming in Zambia.Mr Arnesen said a number of farmers supported by Norway for the 2009/2010 season to use conservation agriculture technology according to programmes were 189,000 farmers under the Conservation Farming Unit of the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU), and 42,000 farmers under the Ministry of Agriculture.About 7,000 farmers were also supported under the Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO).The support to the conservation agriculture programmes in 2009 was approx US$10 million from the Norwegian Embassy.“The previous Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Brian Chituwo stated that the aim is for 50 per cent of all farmers in Zambia to have access to conservation agriculture technology by 2015.“The Embassy will support Zambia in reaching that ambitious goal ensuring a more climate resilient and productive agriculture system is within the reach of smallholder agriculture,” Mr Arnesen said.

Zambia was the pioneer in developing conservation farming technology in the region. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) ministers of agriculture have set the target of 1.2 million farmers in the region having access to conservation farming technology by 2012 based on the experience of Zambia.Last month, Norwegian State Secretary for Development Co-operation Ingrid Fiskaa visited Zambia and urged more farmers to engage in conservation farming practices to mitigate the effects of the climate change.Ms Fiskaa said it was important for farmers to consider engaging in conservation or sustainable methods of farming to mitigate the effects of climate change.She said this at the Conservation Farming Union (CFU) in Shimabala area in Kafue District on when she visited some farmers who are currently practicing conservation farming methods with the support of the Norwegian Government.

Some of the benefits of conservation farming include reduced soil erosion and better rainfall infiltration as well as improved timeliness of land preparation. Farmers who rip could till at least three times in the same area than farmers who ploughed while the farming method promoted crop diversification that reduced risks of crop failure.Ms Fiskaa said most countries would have less food in future in view of climate change challenges hence the need for farmers to consider practicing sustainable ways of farming.She said the Norwegian development policy was concerned about issues of climate change as many areas around the world were deeply hit by it.Norway has been supporting the development of conservation farming in Zambia for the last 12 years through the CFU, an affiliate of ZNFU.