The climate smart agriculture project in Zambia has begun to bear fruit with close to 5 000 farmers in Mufumbwe district benefiting from tomatoes, green vegetables, egg plants, ginger, garlic, beans, groundnuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and bananas produced under the project.
The project in Zambia is being run by Save the Environment and People Agency (SEPA), a non-profit making organisation which strives to improve the standard of living of rural communities and the poor in the country.
The project is also receiving extension services from the Agriculture Ministry, and beneficiaries have been trained in partnership with the ministry. Project manager Mailes Zulu said 200 farmers undertaking the project, spread over 14 hectares, have improved their livelihoods after selling the produce to the local communities. The farmers are using the produce to feed their families and selling the surplus to the communities surrounding them.
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She said SEPA was a small group of people which had brought agricultural benefits to Mufumbwe district. Zulu added the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Centre for Coordination of Agriculture Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) were also supporting the project.
“When we request for money, this is where we take SADC money,” she said, pointing at the flourishing crop of groundnuts and pumpkin leaves.
Project’s success
The project has been a success, and has received recognition from the Government of Zambia., with Mufumbwe district administrative officer, Mr. Agrippa Chambala, recently writing to Ms. Zulu expressing appreciation of the project by the government.
“As district Administrator, we commend you for these great works that are contributing to improved livelihoods of your members as well as the general public,” said Agrippa Chambala, Mufumbwe district administrator said in a letter addressed Zulu.
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“As you may be aware, the new dawn government is creating an enabling environment for business and encouraging individuals and organisations to be productive. Hence, we are urging you to continue with your good works and be an example to others. I wish you the best in your business ventures.”
The Mufumbwe project is managed by SEPA under close supervision by CCARDESA, with funding from the European Union (EU) under the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) programme, in collaboration with the SADC secretariat to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and climate change on food and nutrition security.
A borehole and a drip irrigation system were drilled and installed to provide water for the vegetables and fruit trees planted by the beneficiaries. The project is one of the four Climate Smart Technologies projects launched in neighbouring Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe by CCARDESA in November and December 2020, with support from the EU.
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The projects are an extension of the GCCA+ programme which seeks to strengthen the capacity of SADC member states to undertake regional and national adaptation and mitigation actions in response to the challenges caused by the effects of climate change.
The EU has contributed €8 million to the overall GCCA+ project to increase the capabilities of SADC member states to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, and to have their voices better heard in the international climate change negotiations.
