By Jonas Miselo
With support from the World Bank’s Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development Project (TRALARD), the Ministry of Agriculture is currently training more than 1,300 small-scale farmers in 17 agricultural camps within Chifunabuli district in Luapula Province.
The focus of this training is on Climate-Smart Agriculture Celebrations at the Granite Jubilee of the Catholic Diocese of Livingstone.(CSA).
The main goal of this training effort is to encourage farmers to adopt farming practices that are both diverse and capable of withstanding the impacts of climate change.
These practices include things like crop rotation, intercropping, agroforestry, and conservation agriculture. These methods can help farmers deal with challenges brought about by climate change, like unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather.
Greenford Musonda, the acting senior agricultural officer for Chifunabuli district, stressed the importance of climate-smart agriculture for vulnerable communities and shared what farmers are learning.
He said, “We are teaching farmers about the risks of deforestation caused by farming activities. We are also educating them about agroforestry and planting species that enrich the soil with nitrogen. CSA can help farmers adapt to climate change and produce more food, even when conditions are tough.”
And Joel Sekeleti, TRALARD District Operations Officer, encouraged farmers to embrace climate-smart agriculture, acknowledging the reality of climate change.
“Climate change is real and here to stay. That’s why I urge farmers not to stick to traditional farming methods. Climate-smart agriculture is the best way to increase their crop yields and improve their lives while keeping our environment strong,” he said.
One farmer who completed the CSA training, Rosemary Mwewa, expressed her satisfaction, saying, “I’m really happy to have learned about climate-smart agriculture. I plan to use this knowledge to grow more crops.”
This training initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to promote sustainable farming practices and build resilience against climate change. It falls under Component 1, Subcomponent 1.1 of the TRALARD project, which is titled “Diversifying Livelihoods and Improving Farming Practices.” This subcomponent aims to help farmers adopt various climate-resilient farming methods, such as crop rotation, intercropping, agroforestry, and conservation agriculture.
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that connects farming and food security with strategies to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. It helps farmers manage their farms and food systems in a way that’s sustainable and can handle the challenges posed by climate change.
Only f00lish Africans are trying to keep up with climate change agenda when the very same western countries that are major contributers to climate change are not meeting their pledges. Fuseke
A question for these climate change mongering people. Ushe when the Sahara, Namib and Kalahari deserts were formed, what pollutants or human activities caused this?
The cost of inputs such as weedkiller will have a negative impact on acceptance of these smart technologies. For example under conservation agriculture where farmers are encouraged to use minimum tillage, this brings a lot of weeds which reduces the yield and increases the cost of weedkiller expense, not profitable & sustainable.
Technocrats should also look to engage producers of inputs if these climate goals are to be achieved.