Farmers urged to embrace irrigation farming
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Top StoriesNakonde District Agriculture Coordinator David Subakanya has encouraged farmers in the district to embrace irrigation farming in order to increase their income and ensure year-round production. Mr Subakanya said farmers should not only depend on rain-fed crops but should also…
Nakonde District Agriculture Coordinator David Subakanya has encouraged farmers in the district to embrace irrigation farming in order to increase their income and ensure year-round production.
Mr Subakanya said farmers should not only depend on rain-fed crops but should also utilize available water sources for irrigation.
Speaking during a gardening exchange visit for farmers drawn from Msanza, Kalungu and Waitwika Agricultural camps, Mr Subakanya said the use of weirs can help farmers get extra income.
“I want to encourage our farmers that farming is not just for rainfed crops but it’s also for irrigated crops so we can engage using the rain and we can also engage when we find a water source where we can draw water to irrigate.
As we have seen there are weirs that we can use just to get that extra income. So I would encourag each one of us that we employ both rainfed and also irrigation with water which we can pump, which we can convey through weirs,” Mr Subakanya said.
He said the exchange visit saw farmers visit excelling gardening farms in Nega and Msanza villages to learn improved production methods.
And a farmer of Waitwika camp, Winter Siuluta observed that irrigation farming is more profitable than waiting for rain-fed maize alone.
Mr Siuluta said he was impressed with the use of weirs for irrigation which makes gardening easier and less labour intensive.
“I have learnt a lot from this visit regarding farming with irrigation. I have learnt that it is very profitable unlike waiting for rainfed maize alone. I have also found that using weirs for irrigation farming makes things easier so I would also like that to encourage my fellow farmers to continue working hard so that we can reach a point where we can even acquire centre pivots and contribute to the development of the country,” Mr Siuluta said.
Another farmer from Mwenzo camp, Judith Mwanza, said she has learnt that relying on one farming season is not enough to improve household livelihoods.
Ms Mwanza said she was motivated after seeing tomatoes and maize grown in the dry season, unlike the common practice of only growing maize in the rainy season.
She has since encouraged fellow farmers to take up dry season gardening.
“I am grateful for this privilege because I have learnt a lot from the farms we have visited. I have learnt that relying on one season for farming cannot help much. Today we saw tomato, maize grown in the dry season because most of the farmers only grow maize in the rainy season,” Ms Mwanza said.
Meanwhile, a farmer from Kalungu camp, Fred Singongo thanked the organizers for the educational visit.
Mr Singongo, who has been engaged in gardening for a long time, said the exchange visit has equipped him with new knowledge on improved gardening methods.
He appealed to the department to continue organizing such programmes to expose farmers to best practices.
“We are very thankful to the organisers of this exchange visit. Continue with the same spirit. I have learnt a lot of good things. I have been gardening for a long time,” Mr Singongo said.
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