By Tumbo Susan
The Agriculture sector is among top contributors of Zambia’s economy. The sector which has received attention from both government and the private players has continued to record progress at various levels. This is evident through the various programs which are being implemented in the country.
However, despite the strides made, the sector has also faced a number of challenges due to climate change as some parts of the country have been hit with disasters such as drought and floods. But in an effort to address such plights government and its cooperation partners have been educating and sensitizing farmers in the country on conversational farming practices that can withstand the changing climate patterns. As a means of addressing these challenges that farmers are being encouraged to venture into livestock rearing and climate resilient farming.
Recently government through the ministry of National Development Planning, is implementing the World Bank supported Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) whose aim is to improve natural resources management in the selected districts to support sustainable livelihood and in an event of an eligible crisis or emergency, to provide immediate and effective response to the eligible crisis emergency.
The US$100,000 project is a 5 years project that is goal is to help vulnerable communities overcome climate change impacts and build their resilience to ensure increase in food security and livelihood by generating income activities.
And Northern Province is among the beneficiaries of the TRALARD which will support resilient in infrastructure, agriculture, small livestock (that is goats, chickens and pigs), aquaculture, water, natural resources and climate information services and is being implemented Nsama, Mpulungu, Chilubi, Mbala and Mungwi district.
Mungwi district with a population of 112,977 people is among the districts in Northern Province which is benefiting from the program. The district that is mostly known for farming and is prone to calamities such as flood, drought and changing temperatures, it is for this reason, famers are being empowered with enterprises that is entering into production, marketing or processing of which they can consume and sell the remaining products to raise money that will make them purchase what they may need during misfortune period.
The TRALARD project is working with the community in 5 wards of the district at the moment but later intends to expand to others wards so that it can benefit the entire district.
The project has involved the training of beneficiaries who are in cooperatives, individuals and service providers on how well to grow and manage their crops, animals, their businesses, and nutritional benefits of the crops they grow.
Most importantly the aspect of gender equality in agribusiness as well as the importance of good environmental management while conducting business has not been left out.
Once these groups are well equipped with various knowledge and skills, they will be able to share the knowledge with colleagues. In addition to this is the farmers will put what skills they will be empowered with by the project; hence the district will see a reduction in poverty levels among households as well as contributing to the food security of the country.
Mungwi project coordinator Cornelius Yanda said the TRALARD project has come at the right time when there is need of climate change education among farmers.
He said the project objective is to improve natural resources management to support sustainable livelihoods and aims to provide immediate and effective response in a case of emergency.
“Thanks to the project and the trainings given to our farmers we are seeing them putting climate change issues into consideration as they do their farming” Mr. Yanda said
He added it is because of this project farmers have started practicing crop diversification unlike the past where they were dependant on one particular agriculture crop.
Mr Yanda explains that the successful implementation of the project will give farmers an opportunity to compete with other farmers both on the local and international market.
The District Project Coordinator also emphasized that the initiative will also help improve the living standards of people in the area while economically strengthening the agriculture sector of the district.
He has since appealed to farmers to take the initiative seriously and ensure that they apply the knowledge acquired to grow their businesses.
Evonne Lupando a beneficiary of the project belonging to Mfinshe cooperative in Mulema Sampa camp of Mungwi district has commended government and its cooperating partners for initiating programs aimed at bettering the lives of people in remote areas of the country.
Mrs. Lupando said famers in the area are eager to learn new and improved methods of farming as well as appreciate farming as a business especially where gardening and rearing of small livestock is concerned.
She also observed that once trained, most women in the district will become financially dependent as the project has not left them out.
We have always been dependant on rice as a main agriculture activity in our agriculture camp says, Moses Mutale Pinyolo a member and beneficiary of Mfinshe cooperative.
He said due to climate change sometimes they would experience low or delayed rainfall hence encounter losses in their rice production, this means no money to send our children to school and food to feed them.
He added that vegetables were a major problem in the camp this is because there is no proper water body to fetch water from.
Our cooperative was granted K730,000 by the TRALARD project to drill two 50 meters boreholes, install two 5,000 litres tank stands, fencing of the 4 hectors garden area, Drip irrigation pipes, a water kiosk and purchasing of 60 goats. Mr Pinyolo explained.
He added that, after the coming of TRALARD project we are seeing a bright future for our children and the community as at large.
“We as a community we know have a safe water to drink, we are no longer dependant on rice for food and income, we have gardens and goats to boast us when the rains pattern is not favorable,” he further added.
And a member of Ndasa Multipurpose Cooperative Joseph Mulenga a farmer in Ndasa camp said he is very happy that his cooperative among the approved ones and was granted K243,000 do different agriculture activities which includes growing of rice on a 10 hectare of land, 100 citrus trees (lemons, oranges and guava trees) and rearing of 60 goats.
“Am seeing a we are going to have a good harvest all thanks to the project,” he said
“As a cooperative we have plans to buy cattle and expand our field the next farming”. He narrated. “And by so doing our lives our living standard will change for the better not only individually but as a community as a whole because we are not living anyone behind that is the vulnerable and elderly”.
“For this kind gesture we are thankful to the government for coming to our area through TRALARD project and teaching as about climate change something that we had no idea of,” Mr Mulenga stated.
The proper implementation of the program will see farmers in the district acquiring life and business skills which will enable them to sustain their lives thereby reducing poverty levels in the area.-NAIS