NEWSLINE

The Ukama Ustwai-UU initiative which aims at addressing food and nutrition security risks that arise from an over-reliance on maize, in a climate resilient, water-secure and socially inclusive manner, says it is targeting to reach 50 thousand farmers by 2024 in its catchment areas with the view to transform the practices of maize-based to more diversified systems through mechanisation, irrigation and improved crop management and conservation agriculture.  The Ukama Ustwai is a Consultative Group on  International Agriculture Research-CGIAR initiative which is being led by the International International Water Management Institute-IWMI in collaboration with regional and national partners including Agriculture Consultative Forum- ACF and Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis  Network-FANRPAN. It is focusing on twelve countries in East and Southern Africa namely, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Ugand...

Agriculture Minister Ruben Mtolo has challenged the private sector, Civil Society Organisations and some farmers' organisations among other stakeholders to ensure that they promote climate-smart agriculture in the country by introducing innovations such as tolerant crop varieties, improved soil management, agro forest and irrigation practices and mechanization.  Mr Mtolo said this today(18-08-2022) at the National Policy Dialogue Meeting for the Launch of th le Ukama Ustawi-UU initiative on diversification for resilient Agri-food systems in East and Southern Africa held in Lusaka today hosted by the Agriculture consultative forum and the food agriculture and national resources policy analysis network. The Minister noted that given that a majority of farmers are subsistence and smallholder who depend on rain-fed agriculture, the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events has posed a major threat to food security as it has shifted planting cycles thereby making it di...

In an area where there are huge mining investments, one could at least expect to see massive infrastructure development, especially in the road sector within their catchment areas alas, this is not the case with [Salimu, Mwaribu and Muluka Villages among others ] in Senior Chief Chiwala's Chiefdom in Masaiti District on the Copper belt province which hosts several companies among them Dangote, Neelkath lime Neelkath cables and Handyman's lime. The state of the road leading to the area leaves much to be desired as dust is the order of the day. The road leading to Senior Chief Chiwala Chiefdom As we drove on a bumpy-potholed road for the first time, through Salimu village on our way to Muluka Village, one of the motorists upon seeing this journalist filming  shouted, "this is the road which is damaging our vehicle, something must be done, tell them [government] to work on it before the onset of the rainy season." However, this concern raised by the motorist was just a t...

  The International Crops Research Institute for Semi and Tropics has noted that as climate change becomes more unpredictable it is also becoming more difficult for farmers to plan for their agricultural activities hence the need for timely dissemination of information on whether patterns by the government. Speaking on the sidelines of the outreach of media communication channels through stakeholders networks to farming communities in Zambia program in Lusaka, Institute social scientist Sabine Hamann Kee Tui says in addition to this, farmers especially in remote areas lack access to markets for their produce to enable them to invest in better farming inputs. She explained that climate-smart agriculture is often about technologies and has therefore called for the creation of inclusive markets for crops, livestock and fish among other commodities to enable farmers to generate income. Meanwhile, Ms Hamann says her organisation is working in partnership with the private sector and ...