Musika Zambia has embarked on a training to create a supportive policy environment for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and equip agro-dealers in Southern Province with cost-effective ways of integrating CSA into the programme.
According to a Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) weekly brief availed to the media recently, the training was part of a scale-up exercise under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) e-voucher aimed at developing and implementing a climate-smart awareness programme.
ZNFU says the initiative will further help build climate smart knowledge and capacity of smallholder farmers participating in the e-voucher initiative delivered through a network of agro-dealers.
“The training focussed on inculcating CSA practices to all frontline officers and other private players that are also involved in agriculture. CSA is, therefore, expected to be rolled out to all farmers, especially those that are on FISP e-voucher programme.
“The CSA concept was developed in view of the undisputable climate change that has taken place in the recent past. The agriculture sector is one of the sectors that has highly been affected by the effects of climate change,” the union says.
ZNFU says after the training, it was suggested that the aspect of risk insurance should be incorporated together with early planting, crop rotation and minimum tillage, among others, to enable farmers participate and benefit from the FISP e-voucher programme.
