FARMER REGISTRATION - A NECESSARY TOOL FOR PLANNING

Farmer registration is a prerequisite for e-extension services

"I woke up one morning and found my farm had been attacked by army worms. I tried to get rid of them manually but it was too much work for me. So I phoned our camp officer who came with the chemicals and treated my field…Through my mobile phone, I can reach my camp officer wherever he is and I’m able to get quick solutions to whatever problem I have.”  

This scenario narrated by Chiponde Kunda a small scale farmer in Luapula underway is gradually becoming a common phenomenon in rural farming communities. More and more farmers like are able to maintain linkages with their extension service workers via the mobile phone.

ACHIEVING ZERO HUNGER IN ZAMBIA

A small scale farmer displays some of her produce during the 2019 World Food Day commemorations held in Mwembeshi

“It’s not just about getting enough to eat, it’s about having the right food to eat.” These words were part of a speech by the UNICEF Zambia Country representative, Noalar Skinner, during the recent World Food Day commemorations that were held in Mwembeshi.

The 2019 theme – Our Actions are Our Future, Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World - intended to bring awareness on the continued strides needed towards realizing the Zero Hunger Vision that was launched by the United Nations in 2012.

World Food day is a day of action against hunger. Hunger manifests itself in different ways namely: undernourishment, malnutrition and wasting. The 2018 report by the African Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition reveals that 257 million people in Africa are undernourished. Put differently, 257 million people in Africa are hungry and furthermore,

FIELD DAYS- A NECESSARY LEARNING TOOL FOR SMALLSCALE FARMERS

Smallscale farmers can adapt the things they see and learn at Expos on a smaller scale

As the Agritech Expo opened on Thursday April 10, some small-scale farmers around the country are traveling to Chisamba, to expose themselves to the latest trends in the agricultural sector. Transcending from small-scale to medium and commercial scale farming entails keeping up-to-date practices that can increase production and productivity.

Field days are simply a series of demonstrations and knowledge-sharing activities that are focused on enhancing sustainable agriculture. They can be described as trade shows where farmers and aspiring farmers can acquaint themselves with best farming practices, new seed varieties, livestock disease control methods, new machinery and technology etc.