The Joint country program has commended farmers in Nagoma district for applying the agricultural skills they acquired during the four-year training program dubbed Making Agriculture a Business (MAB) to improve their livelihood.
Joint country Programme Director Jonathan Howarth was impressed with the Farmers’ positive results that have laid a foundation for income generation.
Mr. Howarth who was speaking during a Joint Country Program (JCP) field visit in Nagoma district noted that the farmers are able to generate incomes and look after their families.
Mr. Howarth noted that the Joint country program between the Norwegian church aid and the Danish church aid has been working with the communities in Nangoma to encourage a mindset shift from seeing agriculture as a means of survival but as a business.
Mr Howarth emphasized that agriculture can help communities to lift themselves out of poverty.
He disclosed that the project which started in 2014 will end this year with farmers having acquired various skills that will help them sustain their families.
“The farmers need more support to gather together into cooperatives and get bigger loans so that they invest in Agricultural machinery and smart technologies so that they can give themselves a bright future”, he said.
And Church’s Health Association of Zambia Agronomist Milton Mwiinga said farmers have learnt the cost-serving irrigation system by using local materials.
“This kind of irrigation serves time and it gives the crop the required amount of water among other benefits” Mr Mwiinga noted.
Meanwhile, Susan Hambiliki, a beneficiary of Making Agriculture a Business, said she learnt lifesaving skills which will boost her agriculture.
She added that from her saving group she’s rearing chickens which she hoped would help her business grow.
“I had an incubator which I was not putting to good use so after learning from MAB I started poultry and I’m able to keep records of what I’m doing,” Ms Hambikili said.
INCUBATING EGGS IS A SPECIALISED BUSINESS ANS EXTEREMLY DIFFICULT
OUR HATCHERIES SHOULD BE SUPPLYING THESE AREAS …
INSTEAD OF DROWNING 100’s THOUSAND EVERY WEEK
SELL THEM TO THESE SELECT AREAS AT A REDUCED RATE
So it took the Scandinavians to come and teach you how to farm? Agweee!
A country that has very cold winters is teaching how to culture land and we have a govt handing out social cash instead of these skills …there is nothing like a free lunch these are Danish Missionaries!!