How much water do pigs need to drink? In hot weather they go to the watering point and seem to be looking for more water. Is giving them water once or twice a day enough? They tend to knock containers over and waste water. What is the best way to…
The upcoming Agritech Expo Zambia has more international pavilions than any previous edition. This year’s outdoor farming exhibition taking place from 11 to 13 April at Gart in Chisamba, will feature specialised farming products, services and technology with country pavilions and stands from the European Union, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic,…
Read an exclusive interview with David Elias Daka, Animal Production Consultant at Livestock Services Cooperative Society in Zambia, a returning silver sponsor at Agritech Expo Zambia. During the AgriTEACH workshop sessions at the event, David will present a talk on “Vital nutritional information for quality livestock production”. “Nutrition and feeding…
“Mechanisation is the key to the farming business of the 21st century and will definitely have positive effects like higher outputs, generate more income for the farmer itself and the society. When it comes to the buying of inputs and equipment, the label ‘Made in Germany’ is one that evokes…
Agritech Expo Zambia celebrates its 6th birthday in Chisamba in April and offers new features, country pavilions and more free training. “Agritech Expo Zambia 2019 promises more agro-technology and innovation advancements as the event continues to unveil the future for our agriculture” says Jervis Zimba, President of the Zambia National…
Visitors to the Agritech Expo Zambia 2018 at Chisamba in Central Province entered a declared foot and mouth disease (FMD) zone en route to the expo recently. The affected areas of Chisama and Chibombo had 5 000 recorded cases of FMD by the 16 April, according to The Times of…
Kingsley Kachenjela, founded the popular Facebook group Small Scale Farmers (Farming as business) (397 000 followers) to provide farmers with a platform to access and share relevant agricultural information. A man who believes that action must follow talk, Kingsley spoke about finding markets for farmer produce, at Zambia’s recent Agritech…
Mr. Alexander and mrs. Agatha Tendai Matuka may have started out as small-scale farmers in Zambia’s Central Province some years back, but their joint passion for agriculture, keen business sense and ambition to excel has propelled them into commercial status in a short time. At their current rate of expansion…
Read an interview with Joel Chitambala, a Director at Cattle Wealth Management Firm, an innovative livestock management company and a new exhibitor at the upcoming Agritech Expo Zambia in Chisamba from 12 to 14 April. “Many Zambians are passionate about cattle but do not have land, resources or the time…
Read an interview with Andrew Chibuye, Partner, Risk Assurance Services, PwC Zambia, and a moderator of the roundtable on “Viable finance: Identifying the right lending schemes, packages and partners” during the Farmers Preview Day at the upcoming Agritech Expo Zambia in Chisamba on 12 April. “My vision for agriculture is for…
The Zambian government has enrolled 1 million smallholder farmers under its Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) on weather index insurance. Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said the development is in line with government’s efforts to mitigate the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change. Katambo said so far payouts amounting to…
Read an exclusive interview with Mary Banda, Sales Officer for Skretting Zambia, a returning bronze sponsor at the upcoming Agritech Expo Zambia in Chisamba from 12 to 14 April 2018. Welcome to Agritech Expo! What would you consider as particular highlights for your company during 2018? As Skretting Zambia was…
The European Union (EU) has given Zambia €5 million to help it curb wildlife poaching. EU Programme Manager Friedrich Mahler said Zambia is rapidly losing iconic species due to the crime perpetrated by locals with the backing of international criminal syndicates. “Protecting fauna remains a huge challenge despite the many…
More than 250 million litres of milk go to waste annually despite the deficit the nation faces, says the Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ). “The wastage comes about because producers cannot get to the milk to market due poor road networks and the high cost of transportation,” DAZ said in…
Seven investors have pledged nearly K1 billion to develop farm blocks in Zambia’s Copperbelt, Northern, Luapula and North-Western provinces, said Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo. Katambo said one of the anchor investors, Seventh China Railway Group, will invest in development of infrastructure at the cost of K390 million at Kalungwishi Farm…
The Zambian government has implemented a slew of legislative measures to promote better water management. The measures include revisions of water tariffs and ground water usage regulations. Minister of Water Development Dennis Wanchinga said the measures were aimed at ensuring effective and sustainable water management across all sectors, including agriculture.…
Zambia’s House of Chiefs wants a national summit to break the impasse on the proposed national land policy. “Our view is that government should call for an indaba to make sure that all 288 chiefs attend, and ample time be given to go through the draft national land policy,” said…
The Zambian Ministry of Fisheries imposed a 30-day nationwide fishing ban to prevent the spread of cholera. The ban, coming bare after the 90-day annual mandatory fishing moratorium expired, affected more than 30 000 fishermen, fish traders and transporters. “As a preventive measure against the outbreak of cholera in the…
The Zambian government has assured traditional leaders that they will continue to be custodians of customary land under the proposed land reform policy following last week’s stand-off that. “Some chiefs might be worried that the intention of government was to repossess land and strip them of powers to administer traditional…
Zambia has banned the import of processed meat products, including polony, sausages and ham, from South Africa (SA) to safeguard citizens from contracting listeriosis, which broke out in SA last October. Listeriosis is a disease caused by infection with listeria, with pregnant women, elderly people, children, and immune compromised adults…
The price of tomatoes in Zambia soared to K290 per box from a low of K120. The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) attributed the increase to scarcity of the crop as a result of diseases and high input costs. “There is a low supply as most farmers suffered losses due…
Poaching has reached dire levels across Africa and Zambia has raised the anti-poaching ante by deploying drones to conduct surveillance in its national parks. Zambian Tourism Minister Charles Banda says the drones will be especially useful to curb poaching in hard to reach areas. “The use of drones fits into…
Zambia is braced for more floods in most parts of the country due to continued extreme rainy conditions. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit’s (DMMU) weather warning is still in place, with people in flood-prone areas told to take precautions. The DMMU urged people to move to safe areas and seek…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is offering Zimbabwean farmers who shifted to Zambia at the height of the controversial land reform programme, incentives to return. Zambia’s online newspaper Watchdog reports the drive to get the farmers to relocate back to Zimbabwe is being carried out through special emissaries, while a high…
