ZAMBIA'S TOP VARSITY JOINS FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

By HAPPY MULOLANI

Climate change is on top of the agenda for most countries. Its devastating effects on productive sectors of some countries is immeasurable. Zambia is one of the countries affected by climate change as it has experienced droughts, pests, floods and deforestation. 

According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), this year alone, severe drought has negatively impacted 11million people in nine countries, which includes Zambia. This drought is considered the worst of its kind recorded in 35 years. Admittedly, these affected countries require immediate support to address this problem.

In Zambia, the agriculture sector remains key and is considered the second after the mining sector. This prompted the country to prioritise the agriculture sector through development plans such as the Seventh National Development (7NDP), which outlines the importance of not “leaving anyone behind” as a way of fostering the country’s economic growth.

Given the status quo, the University of Zambia is one of the country’s research institutions which has embarked on developing climate smart agriculture technologies to address climate change in order to assist smallholder farmers upscale their agriculture production and productivity.

University of Zambia Dean of the School of Agricultural Sciences, Benson Chishala explained that the University embarked on developing research initiatives aimed at addressing the country’s climatic shocks and boosting food security.

Dr Chishala underscored the importance of embarking on research aimed at immediately providing a panacea to the effects of climate change affecting especially rural farmers.

And Senior Lecturer in the Department of Plant Science under the School of Agricultural Sciences, Kalaluka Munyinda reaffirmed the need to mitigate the climatic shocks and avert food insecurity of most smallholder farmers in light of the drought which had hit the country, resulting in a decline of yields per hectare.

He explained that the institution has developed improved varieties such as Maize MGV640 and legumes which produce higher yields per hectare.

“These varieties record between 16 tonnes per hectare to 20 tonnes per hectare. This is in contrast to the initial 10 tonnes prior to developing these improved varieties,” disclosed Dr Munyende.

These developed varieties are expected to help farmers in engaging not only climate smart agriculture practices but also have better yields during the 2020/2021 farming season.

These sentiments come in the wake of the recent launch of the National Crop Planting season in Eastern province by Republican President Edgar Lungu.

The institution has on-going trials of seed varieties, which include maize and legumes in Lusitu and Chirundu to assess their suitable and production capacities.

But these initiatives have been marred by some challenges such as financing which would have seen more varieties developed for the betterment of farmer communities.

Assistant Dean of the School of Agricultural Sciences, John Shindano observes that the institution has been working with some partners in combating the effects of climate change amidst low financing. Of concern is that the fight against climate change requires concerted efforts if more farmers are to be assisted and improve food security.

Dr Shindano’s views resonate with a recent report released which argues that there has been low financing for climate change. This notion calls for increased financing from partners and stakeholders to contribute towards addressing climate change.

Most of the financing for research is externally sourced but the need to re-think this approach by local partners getting on board to help finance climate change in the local context is obvious. This approach is likely to promote more broad based solutions to curb the devastating effects of climate change

Earlier this year, IFAD is one of the international organization which has released US$12 million to assist rural small-scale farmers in adapting to climate change and reduce green house gas emissions. Equally, the Swedish government is also one of the cooperating partners of IFAD, which availed funds to effectively implement and contribute towards reducing climatic changes this year.

IFAD President Gilbert Houngbo expressed concern on the need to avert the severe climatic conditions. This resulted in the release of the funds towards supporting the fight against the effects of climate change of households and incomes of rural farmers.

It is notable that investment is key to address climate change as it will enable rural people and farmers take adaptation actions in their various agriculture value chains. 

Ultimately, research and financing are important catalysts which need to bring about positive changes through developing climate resilient varieties and also ensure farmers adapt to these initiatives aimed at promoting increased food security. Thus, support is required to be directed towards expertise to help devise mechanisms aimed at improving productivity within a competitive environment like Zambia.

PLANT CLINICS : A HELPFUL APPROACH TO ADDRESSING PESTS

By HAPPY MULOLANI

OVER the years, many approaches in the agriculture sector have been developed in a bid to enhance the public extension system. For instance, in 2013, an initiative called Plant Clinics was launched by the Centre for Agriculture Biosciences International (CABI) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Plant Clinics is an approach meant to service smallholder farmers. These Clinics are basically run by Plant Doctors. Plant doctors undergo a structured training to qualify to practice. This helps these Plant doctors to not only grasp the different modules they undertake to determine their suitability but also positions them in such a way that they are able to assist farmers in their value chains. 

Plant Doctors are expected to assess the problems that farmers encounter in their agriculture enterprises, then advise and offer recommendations on environmental friendly pesticides. This approach aims to equip farmers with appropriate information on various agronomic practices.

For this approach to work efficiently, various partners have come on board to support this cause since 2013 when the initiative was launched.

At a recent National Stakeholders forum at Sun Southern in Lusaka, Director in the Department of Agriculture, Moses Mwale explained that presently Plant Clinics are operating in 42 districts countrywide.  These plant clinics have been supported by various partners such as SNV, World Vision Zambia, Lamasha, Kasisi, Conservation Farming Unit, Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART), Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), among others. Since the inception of these plant clinics, plant doctors have ensured significant contribution towards crop production and food security is enhanced.

“The aim  of this initiative was to help farmers, especially small-scale to minimize on the use of pesticides, in particular use least toxic pesticides, and use more of other components of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM),” said Mr Mwale.

At the outset, there were only 13 clinics and now the initiative stands at 153 clinics. These clinics are currently run by 389 Plant doctors dotted in 42 districts countrywide.

Mr Mwale emphasized that the success of the Plant clinics is through strategic partnerships with other actors already existing to provide support, network and nurture a “national ecosystem bringing together farmers, academia, policy makers, regulatory agencies and established companies.”

And CABI Representative for Southern Africa Centre, Noah Phiri says there has been great collaboration among partners to better support plant clinics provide service to farmers.

National Data Manager, Mathews Matimelo notes that some plant doctors who have erred in their duties, have to be re-trained.

“Of the trained Plant doctors, only a negligible error of 0.0017 was committed,” revealed Mr Matimelo.

Clearly, it is that refresher training of plant doctors which helps to reduce the minimal errors committed in the field to smallholder farmers.

Mr Matimelo explains that these plant doctors are playing a key role in ensuring that recommendations are based on low risk pesticides, besides other methods such as cultural and physical control of weeds.

While, CropLife Chief Executive Officer, Perry Ngoma notes that farmers need to be continually encouraged to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to manage pests in a responsible way.

Mr Ngoma observes that plant doctors are cardinal in assisting farmers to manage damage to their plants to economical levels. They need to recommend pesticides and other avenues of addressing pests in farmers’ fields.

Zambia Environmental Agency (ZEMA) Principal Inspector, Christopher Kanema points out the institution’s critical role in addressing the toxicity of the environment and also offering recommendations to avert toxicity of the environment, hence the necessity to work with key stakeholders.

And one of the Plant Doctors in Mumbwa district, George Silungwe, says Plant Clinics aims to help farmers improve their yields and income while reducing use of toxic pesticides.

“In response, in 2019/2020, the Ministry of Agriculture increased the number of farmers, 17 plant doctors who are helping in pest management and this has reduced incidences of pests in farmers’ management of their fields,” explained Mr Silungwe.

Mr Silungwe says World Vision helped to train 17 plant doctors in Mumbwa, which has led to an increase in farmers crop yields.

“The major setback is as yields increase, the suitability of the market is what is key for them to register positive strides to increase farmers’ income,” said Mr Silungwe.

This approach seems to be working in transfer of agronomic practices, given that they are interacting through plant clinics

“They are also training lead farmers under farmer field schools, who play a key role in technology transfer to other smallholder farmers in the area,” disclosed Mr Silungwe.

An elated Silungwe, highlighted that the number of clinics has increased from three clinics to 17 clinics, which is a milestone. This idea has helped to increase the area of coverage in the farming community.

“It is encouraging that more farmers have become aware of pests that used to ravage their crops. They are also able to act by applying recommendations offered by Plant doctors,” said Mr Silungwe.

A farmer in Mumbwa, Bornlet Kampengekele, has been cultivating vegetables and tomatoes for 21 years, commended the Ministry of Agriculture and partners for supporting appropriate interventions in his farming enterprises. In particular, he is a vegetable and tomatoe farmer. He recounts how his rape and tomatoes used to be hit with diseases. Sadly, he did not have tangible solutions to address the challenges.

“In the past, I would get some recommendations from agro dealers which was not good. But ever since, I came to know about Plant doctors during the agriculture show, it has assisted me in my production of rape and tomatoes as well as other farmers in Mumbwa,” explained Mr Kampengekele.

Clearly, Plant clinics have been a useful approach of addressing pests and ensuring that farmers are empowered with appropriate information. What is required is to strengthen collaboration with various partners in order to increase the presence of Plant clinics to as many countrywide to enhance improved crop production and productivity.