Mpika farmers urged to embrace climate‑smart farming
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Top StoriesMpika District Commissioner David Siame has urged farmers in the district to embrace climate-smart agricultural practices to strengthen productivity, build resilience to climate change and improve rural livelihoods. Mr Siame pointed out that agriculture remains a major source…
Mpika District Commissioner David Siame has urged farmers in the district to embrace climate-smart agricultural practices to strengthen productivity, build resilience to climate change and improve rural livelihoods.
Mr Siame pointed out that agriculture remains a major source of food, income and employment for many households.
He however stressed that increasing climate variability requires farmers to adopt sustainable farming methods and technologies that can withstand changing weather patterns.
He said the Grow Zambia Agenda provides an important framework for accelerating economic transformation, with agriculture playing a central role in increasing production, creating employment and improving livelihoods.
The District Commissioner was speaking at the climate smart farmer preparedness workshop navigation of El Nino organized by the Solutions for Training in Agriculture and Resource Transformation (START) initiative in Mpika today.
He said that the initiative presents an opportunity for the district to promote crop diversification, strengthen value addition and improve farmers’ access to markets.
Mr Siame said achieving sustainable agricultural transformation requires farmers to have access to affordable inputs, appropriate financing, reliable climate information and improved agricultural technologies.
He also stressed the need to promote sustainable water management and irrigation systems to reduce dependence on seasonal rainfall.
The District Commissioner said climate-smart practices such as conservation farming, soil moisture management, crop diversification and the use of climate-resilient seed varieties are essential in reducing farmers’ vulnerability to drought and other climate-related risks.
He further emphasised the importance of timely weather forecasts and agricultural advisory services to help farmers make informed decisions on planting, crop selection and resource management.
Mr Siame also urged farmers attending the workshop to participate actively, share their experiences and identify at least three practical climate-smart agricultural practices to adopt or strengthen on their farms.
“We are encouraging you to share the knowledge acquired with fellow farmers in your communities to broaden the adoption of sustainable farming methods,” he said
The DC also commended the Start Initiative for its commitment to agricultural training and community empowerment, particularly its proposed Growing Future projects, which include community-based practical training and agricultural training centers.
“The initiative was encouraged to establish partnerships that support continued farmer training, practical demonstrations and technical mentorship,” he said
Mr Siame said that sustainable agricultural development requires coordinated efforts among Government, the private sector, civil society and farming communities.
He also added that climate preparedness must be integrated into household and community-level agricultural planning to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and enhance farmers’ living standards.
The workshop is expected to provide practical information on seasonal climate outlooks, improved farming practices, agricultural inputs and weather-index insurance.
And Mpika District Senior Agriculture officer (SAO) Sheila Mumba has called on farmers to adopt climate-smart and cost-effective farming practices to mitigate the effects of climate change and improve agricultural productivity.
Ms Mumba said erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells and shifting growing seasons continued to pose challenges to farming communities, threatening crop yields, food security and rural livelihoods.
She said that climate-smart agriculture was essential to strengthening farmers’ resilience while supporting the attainment of national agricultural production targets.
Ms Mumba noted that government has prioritized climate-smart agriculture as a strategy for increasing crop production, in line with a presidential directive targeting the production of 10 million metric tonnes of maize, three million metric tonnes of soybeans, one million metric tonnes of wheat and one million metric tonnes of sugarcane by 2031.
Ms Mumba commended the START Initiative for organising the workshop in collaboration with the department in Mpika noting that the engagement would equip farmers with practical knowledge and strategies for adopting sustainable farming methods.
Meanwhile, START Initiative Board Chairperson Reverend Chrispin Suya has announced plans to introduce school vegetable gardens and community-based agricultural training programmes next year to equip youths and small-scale farmers with practical farming skills.
Mr Suya said the initiatives were aimed at transforming attitudes towards agriculture and promoting farming as a viable business and a source of employment, particularly among young people facing unemployment challenges.
He said that the Growing Future project would be introduced in selected local schools to teach learners crop planning, production, agribusiness and practical farming skills, adding that early exposure to agriculture would help nurture a generation of productive and entrepreneurial farmers.
Mr Suya said that START Initiative would also conduct targeted community training in commercial soybean production, modern fish farming and improved livestock management to help farmers venture into high-value agricultural enterprises.
He noted that the organisation was also seeking land to establish a practical agricultural training centre where youths and farmers could receive hands-on training in modern agricultural methods.
Mr Suya said the organisation further intended to promote integrated farming systems and circular bio-systems to help farmers reduce production costs through efficient resource utilisation.
The initiatives are expected to strengthen agricultural productivity, create employment opportunities and improve rural livelihoods.
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