Namwala

 

The Department is subdivided into sections namely crops extension including seed development, irrigation, land husbandry, farm power and mechanization and food and Nutrition. Each section is manned by a subject matter specialist.

The Department has a Strategic Plan for 2005-2015 which outlines the agricultural developments (objectives, strategies and activities) that the Department will focus on for 10 years in the hope of bringing positive change to the farming community and local economy.

The strategic plan encompasses some goals outlined in the National Agriculture Policy and these are;

All the staff in the Department are familiar with the vision, policies and strategies outlined in the National Agricultural Policy (NAP) in order for them to contribute meaningfully to agricultural development in the District.

The District Agricultural Coordinator coordinates the activities of all the Departments under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in the District. The Senior Agricultural Officer in turn facilitates the implementation of activities by Subject Matter Specialists in the Department of Agriculture. At block level the Block Extension Office facilitates activity implementation and is supported by Camp Extension Officers who are the front line staff.

Agriculturally the District is divided into 4 Blocks namely Mukobela, Mungaila, Chitongo and Muchila. These blocks are in turn subdivided into 15 camps; Namwala Central, Baambwe, Ngabo, Kabulamwanda, Kantengwa, Maala, Chitongo, Nakamboma, Bwizu, Ndema, Shimashikwe, Ichila, Moobola, Kaabwe, and Muchila (see District map annexed)

Namwala is situated in the southern province of Zambia. It is a rural District and shares its boundaries with Monze (South East), Choma (South), Kalomo (South) and Itezhi-tezhi (North West) districts.

It is located 170 km North West of Choma District and 158 km from Monze and 350 km from Lusaka. Most parts District lie in the Kafue basin zone with seasonal flooding being prevalent. It covers an estimated total area of about 10,000 square Kilometers and lies between latitudes 15 and 17 degrees south of the equator and longitude 25 and 27 degrees east.

During the wet season the most of the feeder roads are impassable and hence making backstopping and supervisory visits to Blocks and camps virtually impossible.

The length of the growing season ranges from 110 to 120 days, interrupted by dry spell of between 20 to 30 days. The number of rain days range from 23 to 60 days(see table below)

The District is predominantly composed of indigenous Ila with immigrants who are mainly fishermen from Western, Luapula and Eastern Provinces.

The District is prone to both flooding and Dry spells

 

Food balance calculations are based on some parameters such as:

* Maize requirement standing at 750g per person per day

* Estimated sales by farmers are put at 50%

* Post harvest losses are put at 5%

* Estimated population for 2007 is 100751

* Carry over stocks

* Imports by private sector etc

The district is divided into three ecological zones namely: -

Generally most of the district is covered by alluvial derivative soil varying in texture and colour from dark coloured topsoil to sandy loamy soils.

The District is characterised by a dry and hot weather from September to October, warm to hot and rainy weather from November to April cool to cold and windy weather from May to August.

Most of the land is flat but slightly slants towards the Kafue River basin.

The altitude of the district is between 1,100 and 1,300 m above sea level

There are three types of vegetation, namely closed forests, open forest or woodland and grassland.   A closed forest is a two storeyed forest with a closed canopy where as an open forest has an open canopy. Grassland is land, which is naturally without trees and is found in places with a permanently high water table.

The main river is the Kafue and has a braided channel of the Kafue called Namwala River. These are the main sources of water for drinking for both humans and animals. The other uses of the two rivers are for gardening and as a source of fish. The rivers and plains give the district great potential for irrigation on a large scale. The other river worth mentioning is Mbeza, which is seasonal.

The two main form of land tenure are trust land and traditional. Most of the trust land is reserved forest area which is approximately 45000 hactares. There are two resettlement schemes in the district, Ngabo and Muchila. The administrative part of the district though found at the very end of the district (North Eastern corner) is characterised by commerce with small scale and emergent farms in peri-urban areas. There are a few farmers with title deeds. The northern parts the District is covered by the Kafue plains and are used for grazing.

The remaining part of the district is covered by traditional land. There are a few farmers having title to their land within traditional areas.

 

The vision for the Department of Agriculture is to have a developed, efficient, competitive and sustainable agricultural industry, which assures food security and increased income.

 

 

Namwala is first and foremost an Agricultural District covering four Chiefs namely Mukobela, Mungaila, Nalubamba and Muchila. The main activities in Mungaila and Chitongo areas are basically mixed farming that is cattle rearing and crop production. Cattle rearing being the most important economic activity followed by crop production. Mukobela and Mungaila areas in addition to mixed farming have fishing activities taking place. Mukobela area has forestry activities such as charcoal burning and timber production as well as trading in other non timber forest products. Muchila area on the other hand has crop production being the main economic activity followed by cattle rearing. The vast plains, which encompass Mukobela, Mungaila and parts of Chitongo, are mainly utilized for cattle grazing and to a lesser extent for collection of thatching grass by women.

Namwala District with adequate and well-distributed rainfall over time and space of above 650-mm per annum coupled by early distribution of agricultural inputs normally produces more maize that what is needed for local consumption and usually exports maize to other Districts. The average annual rainfall stands at 800 mm per annum.

Due to erratic rainfall and its unpredictable nature, crop diversification and conservation farming have been promoted extensively among farmers with support from ADRA, GTZ, PAM and Government. The sole purpose of these interventions has been to increase household food security and thereby reduce poverty.

The main sources of food in the District are maize, meat (from both domestic and wild animals), milk, maize meal from food for work activities and relief food, fish, wild fruits (mawi) and wild tubers (busala) and root crops such as sweet potatoes and cassava. The sources of income are from livestock, crop fish sales and timber sale, carpentry, and salaries from formal work as well as wages from the informal sector like trading in markets. The District is divided into 3 zones according to main source of income as follows:

 

These zones are the most prone to drought and include Mukobela and parts of Chitongo and Mungaila. These areas are prone to drought due to sandy soils, which have low water holding capacity. This aspect also makes the implementation of soil conservation measures like pot holing difficulty in that the basins are not easy to maintain. The sources of food in these areas are maize, milk, beef, food for work and relief food, fish, and tubers from the forest, vegetables and to a less extent cassava. The main sources of income are livestock sales, local seed sales, milk sales, grain sales, vegetable sales and formal work in the civil service, security services, teaching service, Judiciary, local government, bank, and abattoir. Other income sources include informal work by trading, carpentry, gathering of thatch grass and piecework.

 

These areas include Muchila and parts of Mungaila and Chitongo Blocks. These areas are characterised by Clay soils that retain moisture for a longer period of time and hence the effect of short drought spells in not much felt. The sources of food in these areas include maize, sweet potatoes, vegetables, groundnuts, cowpeas, chickens and milk and beef to a lesser extent. The sources of income include sales from maize, cotton, sunflowers, groundnuts, sweet potatoes, maize seed and groundnut seed. The other sources are trading in groceries and beer.

 

The include Maala and Kantengwa in Mungaila and Baambwe in Mukobela areas. The main characteristic of these areas is vast expanses of the plain that extends from Itezhi-Tezhi dam to Kafue town and is therefore ideal for grazing and rearing of animals; hence harbour the highest concentration of livestock. The two rivers namely Kafue and Namwala flank these areas and have high potential for irrigation.

The main sources of food being milk, beef, bush meat, fish, maize and vegetables. The income sources are from sales of cattle, fish, trading and salaries for civil servants.

 

The envisaged results of implementing NAP by 2015 will be:

 

The successful implementation of the plan will depend on many factors. These include availability of transport at all levels; District, Block and Camp, adequately trained staff who will be sufficiently motivated, hardworking and committed farmers, good attitude of the Namwala community to irrigation projects, timely disbursement of funds and good political will. The coordination and monitoring of the activities should above all be exemplary.

 

* The detailed strategic plan for the Department can be obtained by request from the Senior Agricultural Officer, Box 30, Namwala. Phone No. 260 021 260045 email; gchate@yahoo.co.uk