Zambia Agribusiness Society

Tumble mustard Invasive weeds pose a significant threat to global agriculture productivity – and their threat will become more pronounced if the earth’s climate is affected by increased greenhouse gas concentration, according to a Flinders University climate researcher. Working with computer models to predict the likely impact of climate change on invasive weed propagation, Dr. Farzin Shabani from Flinders University’s Global Ecology Lab found a likely increase in areas of habitat suitability for the majority of IWS (invasive weed species) in European countries, parts of the US and Australia, posing a great potential danger to global biodiversity. In predicting the impact of climate change on current and future global distributions of invasive weed species, Dr. Shabani also found that existing attempts to eradicate invasive populations are inadequate. Dr. Shabani and an international team of researchers investigated 32 globally important Invasive Weed Species to assess whether c

Farmers start chicken farm with 1,000 birds to 50,000 birds, for example let us start with 5,000 birds. Following picture is the drawing we designed for our customers before they install chicken cage. Chicken house: L × W × H = 168ft. × 22.6ft. × 11.5ft. (51m × 7m × 3.5m) Wall height: 1.65ft. Wire mesh height: 9.85ft. Walking way: 3.6ft. Pit width: 5.9ft. Distance between cage row and front wall or end wall: 5ft. 24 sets/row 2 rows totally 48 sets/house 5,184 birds totally How to build house ground/pit Following picture is showing the installation of manure cleaning system. Depth : About 30cm Width : 1.8m (5.9ft) Length : It is as the chicken house, the pool is outside the chicken house. Passage : 30cm higher than level, pit is at level line, dung is easy to clean outside chicken house. Do you have any questions or other forms of contributions, kindly use the comment section below

Drought seems to have become a permanent part of Southern Africa’s weather patterns, but many farmers are still caught unaware, and suffer accordingly. Southern Africa has always experienced droughts, but in the past they didn’t seem to linger for as long as they do these days. Spring rain seems to have largely disappeared, while summer rains appear to be arriving later and later. Many areas now receive rain only in late December, and by February the rain has stopped falling. Communal farmers should work collectively or in large groups to plant crops such as Smuts finger grass as summer feed or oats as a winter feed crop. Here are some additional strategies to help your farming enterprise through a drought: ·          Whether you farm as an individual or a community, save enough money to buy supplementary feed. Stockpile this feed before prices start to rise and feed becomes scarce. ·          Budget properly. Work out the exact daily cost of the supplementary feed. For exa

In order to be a successful goat farmer, there are basics you must consider or know before you start a goat farm. These include but not limited to the following: 1. Location: The most important consideration you must first make is location. Common goats generally survive in warm areas that are well drained. Apart from temperature, space is necessary. Goats live in groups, so individual pens are not effective. A large field is needed if you want your animals to roam freely. Freely roaming goats usually have better resistance to sickness and infection. The best locations for a goat farm are those that are far from towns because urban pollution is dangerous to animal health. Goats are known to eat a lot of grass on a daily basis. So make sure their food source is highly accessible and not too far from the rearing area. 2. Land Requirement: Goats can be reared intensively on small acreage by using supplemental feed. If using an extensive system, 2 to 10 goats per acre is a rough gu

Okra also Known as ‘lady’s fingers,’ or locally as ‘delele,’ or ‘mulembwe’ is a very nutritious crop. Okra Growing Tips Okra is one of many vegetables which produces edible pods. A member of the mallow family, the plant itself is coarse, tall. Okra is simple to grow during warm seasons, or throughout the year in areas that are more tropical. Here are a few steps to take note of for growing okra: 1.     Begin by planting seeds. Plant 3 - 4 seeds together about 0.5 - 1 inch deep. 2.     Be sure to separate each planting by about 6 inches, and separate each row of plants by about 2 feet if you plan on growing a large amount. 3.     After planting, water each area gently with water. Don’t water to the point of puddles forming. 4.     As the plants break the surface, thin them out and space them about a foot apart as they will widen quite a bit as they mature. 5.     Once the seed pods form and grow to 3 - 4 inches in length, they are safe for picking. Be sure to check back

The proud owner of Litsoamobung Fresh Produce which he established in 2014 alongside his wife Malitšoanelo and mother-in-law ‘Mapula Makara, Mr. Nkunyane is the epitome of cool as he recalls the turbulence that has characterised the enterprise since its inception. Mr. Nkunyane says he did not resign from his lucrative job with the Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA), only to abandon his own business because of teething challenges which continue to gnaw at the enterprise. Such is the youthful farmer’s resolve that no amount of heartbreak is going to make him abandon his brainchild hence his composure despite the heavy odds stacked against the business. Situated in the heart of Koro-Koro, about 37 kilometres south of Maseru, Litsoamobung Fresh Produce is a farming paradise blooming with succulent cabbages, tomatoes and potatoes. Yet despite the apparent prosperity, Mr. Nkunyane says Litsoamobung Fresh Produce is facing immense challenges which include failing to find local buyers for its pro

Goat feed management stages of female goat (doe): This will give you more details about goat feed management in female goats at different stages. 1. Goat feed management in breeding female goats. In a case where there is enough pasture present, there is no need of supplemental concentrate mixture for your goats. In case of poor grazing conditions, goats may be supplemented with a mixture at 200 to 350 grams of concentrate feed/ animal/ day depending on their age. Usually, the crude protein level of concentrate feed mixture used in the adult feed should be about 12%. 2. Goat feed management during the first 4 months of pregnancy. You should allow pregnant goats in good quality pasture at least 5 hours/ day. Goat feed ration must be supplemented with available green fodder at 5kg/ goat/ day. 3. Goat feed management during the last month of pregnancy. In the last month of goat pregnancy, the foetal growth increases 60 to 75%, so it is recommended to allow these pregnan

Before starting your cucumber farming business, here are some important factors you need to put into consideration and the best ways to handle them. 1. Carryout a Good Research : First you have to make a good and adequate research on what cucumber is all about and how to grow one. 2. Make a Good Business Plan : After you might have gathered your research findings then the next step is to make a business plan which will help you organize and plan your farm the way it should be. You might want to shy away from this thinking that it is unimportant but believe me it is. A well-organized business is the path to its growth. 3. Select a Good Location : It is advisable to consider looking for a loamy-clay soil because as cucumbers need enough water as 90% of it contains water therefore a loamy-clay soil can absorb and retain water. Cucumbers requires enough sunlight, therefore the land to be chosen for planting should not have shades that will prevent sunlight from entering and a

Introduction According to the dictionary , hydroponics is the cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil. Furthermore, if we break the word into two parts, we have  hydro  and  ponics . Both come from  Greek origins , with  hydro  referring to water and  ponics  from the word  ponein  meaning “to labour or toil.” With that being said, hydroponics can be used just about anywhere and with multiple types of plants. In fact, there’s a lot of fruits and vegetables grown in hydroculture systems! Whether it’s a leafy green like lettuce, kale, or spinach to a juicy fruit like  strawberries, tomatoes, or blueberries , it can be productively grown without soil! But Wait, Don’t All Plants Need Soil? Actually no, plants don’t need soil. Soil is highly beneficial to plants by providing structural support for the roots as well as a substrate to exchange nutrients on, but this can be achieved through various materials. Try thinking of it this way