GOVT AWARDS CHONGWE FARMER

MERCYNAMFUKWE

GOVERNMENT has awarded a Chongwe-based farmer with various farming inputs, for his outstanding exhibition at this year’s Agricultural and Commercial Show which was held at the show grounds in Lusaka.

The 94^th agriculture and commercial show represented an excellent opportunity for farmers across the country to showcase variety of their farm produce.

The exhibition ranged from agriculture, livestock and fisheries, agro processing and various agricultural produce on display, demonstrating the diversity of Zambian agriculture.

62-year-old, Charles Zulu, is a Chongwe-based farmer who came on board to exhibit by showcasing a variety of his farm produce. Mr Zulu scooped an award from government and was handed over to him at the Ministry of Agriculture in Lusaka, in appreciation of his hard work for his contribution towards the growth of the agricultural sector in attaining food security and nutrition.

Interestingly, Mr Zulu received various farming inputs, which includes a 16ltrs Knapsack sprayer, a work suite, gumboots and a hole to help him in his farming activities.

He added that he is grateful for the award received and is now optimistic that the farming inputs he received will help in his farming activities and motivate him to achieve more.

“I have been exhibiting for six years now and I am happy because I came out the best individual exhibitor in livestock and value addition. I also scooped another provincial award,” he said.

He expressed his excitement knowing that the Ministry of Agriculture was eyeing him by giving him a token of appreciation. Mr. Zulu is elated that he has been rewarded for his efforts, noting that it will also enhance his agricultural skill.

He said he has benefited in farming by exposing his skills to other people, as such he has been attending the local shows on the district, provincial and also the National show.

Mr Zulu is into mixed farming and he does value addition to his agriculture produce by smocking his livestock products.

“Value addition is beneficial to me because I do recycle things such as giving crops to the animals and the animals also give manure for growing crops, because crops on their own without value addition do not fetch attractive prices; as a farmer you need to think outside the box,” he said.

Mr Zulu also grows cereals such as maize and sorghum, and legumes which include beans, soya beans and groundnuts. He is also into growing of green manure seed like black sun hemp, red sun hemp and velvet beans, and he gives velvet beans to his animals as livestock feed.

He said he does not spend much on buying animal feed from outside because he uses the same Velvet beans that he grows to feed livestock which helps him to reduce the expense.

However, Mr. Zulu bemoaned the lack of water on his farm because he has been faced with six dry boreholes and is now seeking for help, owing to challenges of having water in his farm land and the expense to drill a borehole.

He advises fellow farmers to undergo training and to interact with other agricultural experts so that their mind-set would be broadened, because he sees farming as a lucrative career which cannot be regrettable when people take it seriously.

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