E-SAPP MECHANISES SMALLHOLDER FARMERS

By HAPPY MULOLANI

MORE than 80% of smallholder farmers in Africa are engaged in agriculture. These farmers’ production capacities have been low due to the use of hand hoe.

In Zambia, more than 60% of smallholders use the hand hoe to cultivate their land resulting in low yields, thus the use of the hand hoe has resulted in limited production capacities.

To overcome this challenge, Government has reiterated the need to ensure smallholder farmers access modern mechanised equipment in order to boost their production capacities.

Government with support from the Enhanced Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (E-SAPP) has partnered with various Micro and Small Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) through the Matching Grant Facility (MGF) for enterprises such as Out-Grower schemes.

One such SME is Augustine Mweenda Agro Centre (AMAC), located in Chibombo district in Central province of Zambia. It is providing mechanization services and bulking facility to over 290 smallholder farmers of the district, which is being facilitated through provision of agricultural inputs and mechanisation as a way of increasing production.

As per E-SAPP guidelines, AMAC contributed 40% cash towards their sub-project. To improve the production capacity, Augustine Mweenda Agro Centre is providing mechanised services to smallholder farmers its working with after the financing support. This is based on the understanding that mechanisation improves the efficiency of production and multiplies the crop yields even during periods of climatic shocks.

Mechanisation also helps farmers prepare their fields early and reach the crop depth and also enhance chances of crop survival whenever long dry spells occur.

Despite the farming community being sensitized about the benefits of mechanised farming; farmers did not have the capacity to mechanise due to the high cost of hiring equipment. They still relied on the traditional methods of cultivation - hand hoe and animal draft power (oxen).

This presented the opportunity to some farmers in Chibombo district who lacked access to modern tools for farming for many years, to collaborate with AMAC in order to boost their production capacities.

“I have been using hand-hoe since I started farming in this area in 2009. To cultivate one hectare with a hand-hoe, I will take one week or more whilst my experience with hiring a tractor it takes less than a week, normally two days or so,” a smallholder farmer in Chibombo, Collins Tembo revealed.

Mr Tembo also said after trainings and accessing a tractor under AMAC, he is now able to produce 56 bags of 50kilogramme of soya bean from one hectare compared to 20 bags by 50kilogram previously in one hectare. He attributes this to adoption and application of new practices imparted during trainings, which also thwarts soil erosion and returns soil fertility for successive seasons.

One of the beneficiary, a soya bean farmer, Agnes Ngwenya, said previously she used to produce only 15 bags of soya bean from one hectare but after undergoing trainings and material support by AMAC, her yield has improved from 15 to 49 bags from the same hectare, noting that the knowledge and skills rendered were useful.

AMAC Director, Augustine Mweenda says collaborating with the Enhanced Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (E-SAPP) has enabled them to assist farmers in uplifting their livelihoods, which has been facilitated through the provision of mechanised services coupled with technical and material assistance to farmers in the district.

But one of the concerns of this mechanisation service is, its sustainability and affordability in the long-term, as has been the trend in previous years where modern mechanisation equipment is provided but when programmes phase-out, it becomes a white elephant.

“As part of sustainability efforts, we are providing the tractor at a lower cost of K400 per hectare as opposed to K800 which is being charged by most players on the market. It’s basically a subsidised cost which enables more smallholders access the tractor and also have a larger hectarge, which means the smallholders production capacities will be boosted,” Mr Mweenda said.

The idea of offering a subsidised rate to smallholder farmers has foreseen benefits which include; providing an affordable service to smallholder farmers, increasing hectarage area of their commodities of focus and increase volumes. And to promote mechanised farming and use of latest technologies to achieve high crop yields amid the adverse weather conditions.

Consideration needs to be taken into account if provision of mechanisation services to smallholder farmers is to be sustained through contributing funds in their cooperatives or farmer groups to maintain the tractor and also hire services at affordable prices. Equally, stakeholders need to provide support to upscale farmers’ agricultural production through mechanisation, as this will also ensure agricultural diversification of the agriculture sector and contribute to the country’s gross domestic product. Eventually, the benefits of offering mechanisation services will offer wealth creation and value addition.

AMAC’s efforts are meant to assist farmers have access to mechanise their farming system and adopt smart agriculture practices to reduce effects of climate change and increase their yields. Mechanising the farming system, diversify and adopt climate smart practices will enable them achieve high crop yields in view of climate change. 

                                            AMAC's tractor cultivating farmers - Chibombo

LIVESTOCK INTERVENTIONS IN CHIRUNDU

 By HAPPY MULOLANI

LUSITU is a rural outpost located 35kilometres west of Chirundu district of Southern province. It is known to be in the valley where the area experiences high temperatures, as it is positioned in Region I of the Zambia Agro-Ecological Zone.

By virtue of its location in the valley, access to reliable water sources for livestock farmers has been one of the detrimental factors in their livestock value chain.

Chairperson of Manzoomwa Farming As A Business School (FaaBS), Alick Malunga confirmed that farmers in the area lacked access to reliable water sources as they drew water from the seasonal Lusitu stream, which easily dried up, they also did not have adequate land to rear their goats neither did they have modern goat housing structures.

Mr Malunga, who is also a livestock farmer, owns 35 goats. He attests to unreliable access to water supply due to dryness of the area and lack of improved goats.

“We were also rearing local goat breeds which have low market value,” Mr Malunga disclosed.

These challenges contributed to the low pricing of goats on the market, which did not yield a return on their efforts. This provided an opportunity for the Enhanced Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (E-SAPP) to empower the smallholder farmers in organised groups, using the programme’s approach – Farming As A Business Schools. This approach enabled smallholder farmers to undergo livestock training and better methods of rearing goats for a season. Through four FaaBS, a total 417 smallholder farmers were trained in the livestock value chain. After which they were assessed and qualified for financing under the programme’s Matching Grant facility (MGF) of a total K1,400,000.

Of the approved funds, K615,000 was released towards the group’s first milestone coupled with their contribution, which went towards one solar panel, a borehole, two goat housing units, dip tank and the construction of a manager’s house. While the group will work towards the construction of a classroom and marketing slab once the additional funds are released for the remainder of the milestones they envision to undertake.

Mr Malunga disclosed that the support rendered to the farmers has enabled the four FaaBS put up a goat breeding centre with a production capacity of 200 goats for the two goat housing units already erected.

He says it is pacifying that the group through FaaBS, learnt about the importance of accessing improved goat breeds and management, thereby resulting in improved quality of goats and higher market value.

“Previously, a local goat was being sold at K150 but with improved breeds, the market price will increase to about K400, which is currently the range of prevailing market price and is a good return on farmers’ efforts,” Mr Malunga said.

He is glad that the water challenge has been resolved. This means the breeding centre can integrate with other activities such as gardening which require constant supply of water.

“At first, two dry boreholes were sunk, until a third borehole where we have found water at a depth of 90metres,” Mr Malunga sighed with relief.

It is encouraging that the initiative to come up with a goat breeding centre has stimulated interest among the traditional leadership, who immediately offered some tracts of land to set-up the breeding centre.

“Three Village Headmen offered land for the goat breeding centre. Village Headman Mungomba, Village Headman Siamwanjwa and Senior Headman Kwelele, who is the Chief’s representative collectively offered 54 hectares to set-up the goat breeding centre,” Mr Malunga revealed.

He explained that they offered the land through a letter of endorsement, which facilitated legalising of the land and also submission of plans for the proposed structure.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional leadership, Village Headman Mungomba expressed happiness that for a long time, farmers in the area lacked the basic facilities to boost their goat production capacities which affected their households’ food security and incomes.

Headman Mungomba reiterated that farmers need to take advantage of the breeding centre as they work towards expanding the facility in view of the ever increasing demand for goats.

E-SAPP Livestock Specialist, Lemmy Munsanje pointed out that the 54hectares of land allocated to the farmers by the traditional leadership was a good gesture as it was aimed at empowering the local farmers.

However, consideration should be made to increase more land to the breeding centre, as once its fully functional, the land may get smaller. Suffice to state that increasing land for such a productive venture will positively impact on the livelihoods in the area.

Senior Livestock Production Officer for Lusaka province, Bwalya Tembo pointed out that farmers needed to take into account the climatic changes and avoid the indiscriminate cutting of trees, as this can affect their environment.

Ms Tembo said it was necessary for farmers to engage in tree planting wherever trees had been cut to avert any effects such as deforestation.   

Whereas, E-SAPP Nutrition Specialist, Nalukui Sakala encouraged farmers to practise gardening within the confines of the breeding centre in order to uplift their nutrition status.

“She also called for active participation of women and youth in the livestock value chain as this will increase their nutrition status and incomes,” Ms Sakala said.

In essence, the programme’s FaaBS approach has worked progressively in resolving some smallholder farmers’ bottlenecks in Lusitu such as access to water, improved breeds and their management. Eventually, this improves their quality of goats which will enable them bargain for a higher price and an organised market. 

A major lesson learnt is that farmers need to be equipped with the right skills and support. Once this is done, the process of ownership and sustainability are guaranteed, only then will food security and incomes be enhanced.