Zambia To Record Bumper Harvest – ZNFU

Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has said the country is expected to have a bumper harvest because it has recorded one of the best seasons of crop production this year.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, ZNFU Public Relations Manager Kakoma Kaleyi said crop production is expected to exceed previous records of the past four years.

Mr Kalayi noted that the country has experienced a good harvest this year and this is because the government and farmers worked together to ensure minimal damage was caused.

He said Southern province and some parts of Western and Central province which have not been productive the past four years are expected to have a good harvest this year.

Mr. Kaleyi said most of the farmers in Central and Eastern province had to replant their crops owing to the flash floods which were caused by the heavy rains this year.

“When crop maturity is expected at a certain stage and then flash floods are experienced it becomes devastating to farmers because both the crops and nutrients have been washed away,” he said.

He added that Muchinga and Northern Province experienced fall armyworms, but the government had taken action and distributed pesticides.

Mr. Kaleyi said farmers were aware and ready after listening to the early warning messages that were sent to areas that were expected to have poor or heavy rainfall.

“The effects of the fall army worms were not very bad because the farmers were proactive and when the government was coming in they complimented each other,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times