Quality Agriculture Extension services key to attaining Climate Smart Agriculture.
By Raphael Banda
In most
African countries and beyond, farming is a lifeline. This is owing to the fact
that it feeds families, supports local economies, and preserves cultural
identities passed down through previous and current generations.
However,
the past few decades, this sustenance has come under increasing threat from
something beyond any farmer’s control known as climate change.
Its effects
have made rainfall unpredictable; seasons commence late or not at all in some
parts of the continent. Crops that once thrived now struggle. For millions of
smallholder farmers including the over 2.5 million registered farmers in Zambia,
the impact has been demoralizing.
Despite
the setback, a new wave of hope has emerged in the form of Climate Smart
Agriculture (CSA) which is a
practical, proven, and people-centered approach that is helping farmers fight
back and attain maximum crop yields.
Climate-Smart
Agriculture is not a single solution but a set of farming practices that help
farmers adapt to changing weather, grow more food, and protect the environment
it is also called farming with nature.
This approach
involves drought-resistant crops, crop rotation, agroforestry (growing trees
alongside crops), and improved livestock feeding, and using water more
efficiently.
In some
selected parts of Africa, countries like Malawi, Kenya and Zambia research
indicate that farmers using CSA techniques are seeing real results as evidenced
by the good crop yields from drought-tolerant maize or cassava varieties, many
households are now harvesting crops even in dry times within out necessarily
depending on rain-fed agriculture.
Therefore,
to continue seeing more benefits of climate smart agriculture, more measures
need to be put in place to enhance productivity and crop yields. In countries
like Zambia that suffered severe drought during the 2023/2024 farming season,
strategies should be put in place to promote climate smart agriculture.
Among
the immediate measures, The ministry of Agriculture(Zambia) need to employ more
agriculture camp extension officers to bridge the ratio gap between farmers and
extension officers (one extension
officer currently servicing more than 1500 farmers).
The writer
understands that the Ministry of Agriculture made an assurance to employ but
there is need to expedite the process.
In addition,
Governments, NGOs, private sector players, and communities all have a role to
play. We all need to invest in farmer training, improve access to
climate-resilient seeds and tools, and support policies that put smallholder
farmers at the center of climate solutions.
The media
also need Agriculture and environmental desks set up if there is none and enhance
media coverage using different strategies of generating content.
About the author:
Mr. Raphael Banda (small scale farmer).
-Media trainer and communication
strategist
-MA in Strategic Communications
for Development
- MA Climate Change Reporting
- BA Communications and Journalism
- DIP Journalism and PR
- Certificate Agriculture
Reporting
-bandaraphael55@gmail.com
+260979208286
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