The Small Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has warned of serious consequences of soil degradation on agriculture, urging farmers to adopt sustainable practices to protect soil health and secure food production.
This follows expert reports linking widespread soil degradation to the aftermath of recent floods across the country, which have disrupted farming activities and exposed underlying environmental vulnerabilities.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, SAFADA Executive Director, Boyd Moobwe, emphasized that implementing climate-smart agricultural technologies is key to reversing soil degradation and reducing farmers’ vulnerability to climate-related shocks.
“The agriculture sector is currently grappling with major challenges, and the failure to implement sustainable land management practices continues to worsen the situation,” said Mr. Moobwe.
He pointed out that inadequate government budget allocations to the sector, coupled with poor land management by some farmers, have further compounded the issue.
Mr. Moobwe recommended a number of conservation agriculture practices to help restore and maintain soil fertility, including conservation tillage, crop rotation, efficient irrigation systems, and organic farming.
By Cynthia Lupiya.
