CLIMATE Change has not spared anyone in Zambia. If not directly affected, then one is indirectly affected. That’s why the government with support from various partners is promoting various interventions and activities to strengthen resilience as a coping strategy.  One such intervention is the hands on farmer training through the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agriculture Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II Project (SCRALA) supported Farmer Field Schools.

The SCRALA project with support from the Green Climate Fund in partnership with the Government of Zambia through the Ministry of Agriculture, has established 15 Farmer Feld Schools in Mambwe District of the Eastern Province with a total membership of 360 farmers (163 males and 197 females) as a way of training farmers on the best farming methods.

The SCRALA hands on farmer training being conducted through the Farmer Field Schools in the 14 agricultural camps of Mambwe district in the Eastern province, has elated farmers in the district because of the positive results in providing solutions to low yields as a result of poor farming methods and climate change effects.

Aged 68, John Mbewe, a lead farmer and a member of the Farmer Field School in Kakumbi 1 Agriculture Camp said the Farmer Field School had helped him a lot in his farming.

“I am grateful for the lessons I have received from our farmer field school. The practical lessons have benefitted me a lot. Previously, I used to do farming using methods my parents taught me.  But with time our harvest started reducing and we started wondering why,” he said.

Mr Mbewe, however, through the Ministry of Agriculture extension services joined the farmer field school where practical lessons on good agriculture practices were being taught.

Mr Mbewe explained that lessons were hands on in the farmer field school and all the learners took part in land preparation, planting, weeding, fertilizer application and harvesting of crops in the field school.

“We have a demonstration field where we have three types of crops. The objective is to teach us good land preparation practices, management, good time to harvest and post-harvest practices so that we can replicate the best practices in our fields in order to improve our yields,” he narrated.

An elated Mr Mbewe testified that the lessons from the farmer field school had benefitted him in numerous ways.

 “My experience is that crops do well using Climate Smart Agriculture farming methods and yields are more in comparison to the same piece of land where conventional farming practices are used,” he exclaimed.

However, Mr Mbewe cited one field in which his crops were not doing well despite applying the skills and knowledge learnt from the Farmer Field School.

“Just to differentiate a bit. The fields with clay soil gets dry and becomes very hard and when it rains the soils stick together causing basins and rip lines to be waterlogged and there is also runoff as water can’t penetrate the soils.

According to the conservation agriculture principles, “we are not allowed to plough the whole field but to have permanent planting stations. So the challenge is that despite applying the skills learnt from the farmer field school the crops do not do well if it is not ploughed.”

Mr Mbewe requested the Ministry of Agriculture to assist farmers address this challenge.

“Apart from this challenge in clay soils, I have evidence from my other fields where I apply the skills and knowledge from the school that Conservation Smart Agriculture has a lot of benefits both to me and my field.”

Mr Mbewe further explained that even farmers who are not members of the farmer field school were benefiting from his skills and knowledge through field days. He said his field which is situated along the main road also attracted his fellow farmers who are compelled to enquire from him what “magic” he used to have health crops.

And Mr Kennedy Chilepa from Chilepa village in Ncheka agriculture camp who joined the farmer field school in 2019, said they have learnt a lot about climate change, time of planting and how to grow different types of crops.

“In Ncheka our priority is maize which is our staple food. We learn about different varieties of cowpeas at the Farmer Field School so that we can compare the yields. We also learn how to use cover crops like velvet beans in maize and about other soil fertility trees like gliricidia,” he said.

Mr Chilepa said using a ripper is better than making planting stations or basins which is more laborious.

“We learn a lot from the farmer field schools. We are provided with weather information which helps us determine when to plant, weed the fields and fertiliser application,” he said.

Mr Chilepa said the farmer field school has equipped him with knowledge to be resilient in the wake of climate change. “I follow all the guidelines as taught by the extension officers.”