27.03.2014
Conservation Farming Unit (CFU) says the Zambian government
is not committed to promoting Conservation Agriculture in the country.
CFU Field Supervisor
in Mwachisopola Village Maria Kaindu explained to Desire Media Concepts
that if government was serious about practicing Conservation Agriculture it
could have made it a policy issue.
Ms Kaindu cited late delivery of farming inputs by government
to Small Scale Farmers implementing Conservation Agriculture as lack of seriousness.
She explained that amidst unpredictable rainfall
pattern the country is experiencing, Conservation farmers are supposed to plant
early if they are to be assured of better yields.
Ms Kaindu has
since expressed worry at the late coming
and early ending of the rain this year adding
that the development will negatively affect farmers who planted their
maize late due to delay in delivering farming inputs by government.
“This year’s farming season is really worrying because
rains came late and they have gone early. if we had some rains this month,
most farmers would have had good to average yields. So it still goes back to
early planting again because only farmers who planted early have a good crop as
I speak now”, she said.
Climate Change is real, our government should be serious in addressing the problem just like Conservation Farming Unit has noted. Otherwise hunger will remain a challenge in Zambia, 50 years after independence. Esther
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