THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has recommended to Government to consider placing the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to enable it run as a commercial entity.

ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said NCZ is failing to operate and make profit because it is not operating as a commercial entity.

The NCZ is currently under the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives.

Mr Zimba said this in Kafue yesterday when the ZNFU board of directors toured NCZ.

He said the placing of NCZ under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry will assist the company to embrace new technologies which will help in its full resuscitation.

Mr Zimba said Government through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) must implement the Public Private partnership (PPP) programme that will help NCZ to start operating profitably and sustainably as well as provide long-term solutions for the future of the company.

“NCZ must be placed under the appropriate line ministry where the company objectives will be well understood and start making profits.

“As ZNFU, we are calling on Government to consider placing NCZ under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry which can provide guidance on how the company is going to be economically transformed and remain competitive on the Zambian market,” Mr Zimba said.

He commended President Banda for attaching great importance to the development of the agriculture sector in the country.

Mr Zimba said the Union is happy with the current Government’s agricultural policies because they have helped the country record a bumper harvest.

He said the good agricultural policies will help the country become a food basket in the region, as well as offer Zambia an opportunity to produce surplus food for local consumption and for export.

“We are very happy with Government’s agricultural policies. This has helped this country to record a bumper harvest. We are also thanking President Banda for providing good leadership to the farming community,” Mr Zimba said.

Meanwhile, NCZ general manager Reuben Mulenga said the company has failed to embrace new technologies because of lack of adequate funding to rehabilitate the plant.

Mr Mulenga said Government must start giving contracts to the company for the production of fertiliser to ensure sustainability in its operations.

He said if Government had awarded NCZ a contract to produce 89, 000 metric tonnes of fertilizer, it could have helped the company to record a net profit of K300 billion.

“We managed to produce 20, 000 metric tonnes of D-compound fertiliser which Government asked as to produce, we are therefore asking Government to start awarding big contracts so that we can commence full productions,” Mr Mulenga said.

And National Union for Industrial Workers president Seth Paradza called on Government to work out other effective interventions which will assist in the rehabilitation of the plant.

AS the world grapples with increased demand for food, national governments are engaging various strategies to create sustainable agricultural bases that can boost the national economy as well as ensure food security at national and household levels.

Strategies being employed include extensive agriculture, which calls for bringing more land under cultivation and intensive agriculture, which demands maximum exploitation of land use in order to increase production.

To fully exploit agriculture land, science and technology has continued to be relied upon and this has come with its own negative effects.

In order to effectively run farm machinery especially on a commercial basis, fossil fuels are burnt which release carbon into the atmosphere and also contaminate the land surface.

Increased demand for food has also enhanced the use of fertiliser and genetically modified seed with the sole aim of maximising production potential. Fertiliser degrades the soil quality and also disturb the soil structure, leading to the release of carbon, which affects the ozone layer and therefore, climate change.

These and many other phenomena have given birth to the debate as to which farming methods should be promoted in order not to contribute to climate change.

A number of institutions have committed themselves to adopting new farming methods that are believed to offer the answer to issues related to climate change. Among the methods proposed is the engagement into organic farming as it uses natural means and also promotes absorption of carbon from the atmosphere.

The Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) is one such institution that holds the view that organic agriculture is the answer to climate change woes that have continued to affect the globe.

The institution believes that Zambia needs to reposition herself in order to contribute significantly to the call for employment of efforts aimed at reversing the effects of climate change.

Chief executive officer, Munshimbwe Chitalu, says conventional agriculture needs to be integrated with good agricultural practices in order to reduce the effects of climate change, which are attributable to the amount of green house gases in the atmosphere.

Mr Chitalu believes overuse of chemical fertiliser is not good because other than distorting the soil structure, nitrogen based fertiliser also pollute the under ground water table which in turn degrade the environment.

“An integrated agriculture system is important. There is need to change the position from promoting the use of chemical fertilisers, especially the nitrogen-based fertiliser because these distort the soil structure and also contaminate the water table. The fertiliser also kills beneficial pests such as bees which are important in the reproduction life cycle of plants and also control other pests,” he said.

In its effort to enhance the fight against climate change, OPPAZ encourages its members to engage in organic farming. Among the members are parliamentarians who are important in making policy decisions while its patron, first Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, is a proponent of consumption of organic foods.

OPPAZ contends that organic farming promotes the maintenance of forests and intercropping through the use of conservational farming, while conventional farming promotes the clearance of wood lots and the engineering of seed so that it can produce to its maximum potential.

The primary objective of conventional agriculture is to increase food production in order to be self-sustaining and to be able to supply the market regardless of the impact it has on the environment.

‘Organic farming offers the ready solution to reversing the effects of climate change as it promotes the growth of trees on their own and this plays a very big role in balancing nature. The eco-system is very important because it controls nature and also provides life to other animal species. But the use of unsustainable methods such as fertiliser application has contributed to the destruction of the soil structure,’

“The addition of fertiliser also affects the living organisms in the soil that are responsible for nitrogen fixation and the chemical elements added to the soil also affect the proliferation of soil microbes is disturbed,” Mr Chitalu says.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) a total number of people is in need of food to 1.02 billion across the world.

With the world food prices stubbornly staying high, the food crisis continues to dog the minds of the world political leadership and the use of conventional agriculture continues to offer the easier way out. But what are the implications of relying on this kind of agriculture in the long run?

The resulting effect is that the more food is produced using conventional agriculture, the more the effect of climate change and in the long run the quality of life will be affected negatively.

According to The Institute of Science in Society, the FAO has come out in favour of organic agriculture.

 Its report Organic Agriculture and Food Security explicitly states that organic agriculture can address local and global food security challenges.

FAO believes that organic farming is no longer supposed to be considered a niche market within developed countries, but a vibrant commercial agricultural system, which should be embraced by all nations.

Currently it is practised in 120 countries and covers 31 million hectares of cultivated land plus 62 million ha of certified wild harvested areas.

“The organic market was worth US$40 billion in 2006, and expected to reach US$70 billion by 2012” the report says.

The FAO Report strongly suggests that a worldwide shift to organic agriculture can fight world hunger and at the same time tackle climate change. It believes that conventional agriculture, together with deforestation and rangeland burning is responsible for 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide and 90 per cent of nitrous oxide emissions worldwide.

“Organic agriculture offers an alternative food system that improves agricultural performance to better provide access to food, nutritional adequacy, environmental quality, economic efficiency, and social equity. This is crucial if agricultural production in developing countries is to rise by 56 per cent by 2030 to meet nutritional needs,” the Report states.

In Africa, conservation farming has shown great potential in controlling soil erosion and increasing food production and also reduces labour intensity which is associated with the agriculture sector in developing countries. The labour intensity is as a result of the low levels of engagement into mechanised farming.

In Zambia small-scale farmers have found that conservation agriculture works well in increasing household food security and currently more than 100,000 small-scale farmers in Zambia have converted to conservation agriculture.

The Principle upon which conservation farming is practiced is based on the conservation of the natural environment while ensuring maximum utilisation of soil nutrients.

This ultimately leads to maintenance of the soil structure which limits the emission of carbon into the atmosphere.

 According to the infonet-biovision website, small-scale farmers have found that conservation agriculture works better than conventional farming as it uses less fertiliser and allows for the intercropping with nutrient providing trees.

Silas Mutambo is a small scale farmer of rural Chongwe and he has been practicing conservation farming for the last four years and the benefits are beyond his expectations.

He has been able to send his children to school and is now a proud owner of four herds of cattle which he bought from the benefits of conservation farming.

“I always advise fellow farmers to opt for conservation farming because it has more benefits to me as a farmer as well as my environment. My soil is rich because I use animal manure instead of chemical fertiliser, I also grow tree which I intercrop with my maize so the rate of soil erosion is very minimal.”

Climate change has the potential of reversing so many years of development and it continues to threaten the same food security that conventional agriculture aims to promote.

Its characteristics include prolonged drought spells, heavy stormy rains, melting of the glacier which will ultimately lead to high water levels in the seas, changes in the migration patterns of wild animals and many other effects.

All these effects have a potential of affecting food production and therefore the adoption of farming methods that can help reverse the effect of climate change should be embraced.

Unless organic farming is embraced at world level, agriculture in its current form still remains to be accused of perpetrating climate change.

It remains for all to see if reduced use of fertiliser and other sought after elements of conventional farming can really be replaced with organic farming and the same desired benefits of providing food for all can achieved with the adoption of new farming methods.

THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has refuted claims by livestock farmers that the country has a shortage of soya beans, a primary ingredient for the production of animal feed.

According to a statement from ZNFU, the union met with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to discuss the matter, after which it was concluded that the country had sufficient soya supply.

“Following concerns reaching the Ministry of Agriculture that there may not be enough soya beans to meet local demand and lack of maize bran for livestock farmers, the ZNFU held a consultation meeting on Tuesday August 24, 2010 with all the key stakeholders, namely, traders, processors, farmers and MACO,” the ZNFU stated.

“The meeting concluded that there is enough soya beans to meet domestic requirements with a slight surplus for export as well as room to export soya cake that has no demand locally.”

The union observed that there was a need for the price of soya beans to be adjusted upwards to discourage exports of the commodity.

“It was also agreed (at the meeting) that the local price of soya beans needed to rise to encourage sales and diminish any prospects of exports,” the union stated.
“With regards to maize bran, millers reported that maize bran was in short supply while wheat bran was in abundance. It was then agreed that for maize bran, priority should be given to meeting local demand by reducing on exports while export of wheat bran could continue.”

The ZNFU stated that in future, the domestic requirement for maize bran would be established through a study.

THE National Association for Peasant and Small-Scale Farmers has backed President Banda’s recent stance on the donor community not to interfere in the internal affairs of Zambia.

Association president Rodger Phiri said Zambia should be respected because it is a sovereign state.
Mr Phiri said in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of urban agriculture farming system in Zambia that the country has its own laws and rules and should be left alone to make decisions on national issues.

“As an association, we unconditionally support President Banda over his objection to donors interfering in the internal affairs of our country,” he said.

Mr Phiri said diplomats are supposed to develop good relations with the countries they share ties.
And Mr Phiri has welcomed Government’s decision not to appeal the London High Court judgement involving Dr Chiluba.

He said the London judgment does not apply in Zambia.
Meanwhile, Mr Phiri has called on Government to ban soya beans exports until the country has enough stocks.
He said soya beans is the major raw material used in stock-feed production.
Mr Phiri said peasant farmers and small-scale farmers do not grow any soya beans to supply to stockfeed manufacturers.

“In the meantime, we are appealing to Government to ban soya beans exports,” he said.

Mr Phiri said the launch of the urban agriculture livestock farming system programme will help alleviate poverty in the urban areas.
Matero member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe said the launch of the programme is a clear indication that the private sector is playing a role to reduce high poverty levels in the country.

And National Milling Corporation managing director Peter Cottan said the launch of the urban agriculture livestock programme is key to national development.
Mr Cottan said it is important for Government to safeguard the livestock industry.

“We are in support of the idea that a ban on exports of this product be put in place until such a time the stockfeed industry satisfies the local market,” he said.

A GROUP of youth entrepreneurs in Mansa have established a 150,000 hectares agriculture settlement scheme estimated at K100 million.

The Matanda Settlement Scheme would operate under the auspices of the office of the vice-president and was aimed at promoting agricultural activities in Luapula Province consequently generating employment opportunities of close to 100.

Group representative Emmanuel Muyambo said in an interview that the group had procured land for the cultivation of cassava, groundnuts and bee keeping and was currently trying to raise funds for agricultural inputs.

Mr Muyambo said it was important that the youth get involved in the development of the agriculture sector by taking advantage of the available infrastructure and natural resources.

“The group comprises 15 youths and we are planning to approach financial institutions or the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) to fund the project. The funds will enable us procure the necessary agriculture implements,
fertiliser and seed,” he said.

Once the project was completed they would export raw cassava, honey and groundnuts into the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) markets.

He said cassava was a good crop with less costs and could use the raw materials for various purposes such as glue, mealie meal, among others. therefore, the product offered attractive markets, especially for those companies manufacturing
glue.

“We have already done our market research for our products because for us to succeed we need to know where our markets are,” he said.

A good road network is key for us to transport our products and we shall utilise the existing infrastructure such as the Mpulungu harbour to reach out to neighbouring countries.

DR Guy Scott yesterday said small–scale farmers in the country have been left to be exploited by ‘briefcase’ maize buyers owing to the government’s failure to adequately fund Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

And Dr Scott has said the K700 billion being touted to be borrowed by FRA to boost the current crop marketing season will not be enough to mop the over 2.7 million metric tonnes of maize.

Commenting on the current impasse in the current maize marketing season, exacerbated by the government’s failure to adequately capitalise FRA to mop the current crop, Dr Scott said only government adequate funding would save the local peasant farmers.

Dr Scott, who is PF vice-president, wondered why the government was busy chasing donors when they could not even mobilise K700 billion for an important exercise like maize purchasing.

“The current problem is that they seem not to have enough money to buy the crop and as a result, the briefcase business are being very active and the price of maize has been very low,” he said.

Dr Scott said the current problems were as a result of not planning and implementing correct and timely decisions.

He alleged the government was spending money to prop-up the kwacha which had come under pressure from major convertibles instead of increasing funding to FRA.

“They can plan until their brain fails but if they don’t set the money aside, if they keep chasing donors, if they keep spending the money by strengthening the kwacha by buying hard currency, if they supply money like that, they won’t have the money to pay,” he said.

Dr Scott also observed that K700 billion was not adequate to mop the maize up.
“I don’t think that is nearly enough money and borrowing it from the bank, you have to repay. This problem won’t end until it is properly prioritised in this country,” he said.

Dr Scott warned that the current rebound in maize production was under threat owing to the bottlenecks in the current maize marketing arrangements.

“It is better to have a steady supply than to go up and down all the time,” said Dr Scott