Zambia Agribusiness Society

To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil - Xenophon, ancient Greek philosopher and historian, student of Socrates, Circa 430 - 354 BC. Crop rotation is the practice of planting different crops sequentially on the same plot of land to improve soil health, optimize nutrients in the soil, and combat pest and weed pressure. Several problems begin to creep up when you don’t rotate crops. All these problems can lead to decreased yields over the course of several years. First, the land itself can become “tired” and less fertile. This is because if the same type of crop is planted in the same area, the plant will continue to drain same nutrients from the soil. Second, certain pests can reach levels that are hard to control. This happens when pests learn to make a home in a field that always has the same type of crop. Finally, land is more susceptible to the forces of erosion if the same type of crop remains season after season. The following are the env

Follow these simple steps to produce odourless maggots: Step 1: Get any plastic open container. Size should be according to quantity of maggots you want to make. Step 2: Get any substrate that are non-smelly like Rice bran, wheat offal, pkc, maize shaft from akamu, cassava shaft. These materials serves as bedding and substrate for the flies to lay their eggs. Step 3: Mix some quantity of water with sugar or molasses, then allow the mixture to stay for 24 hours covering it in a cool dry place and, Step 4: Mix this water mixture with any substrate you have chosen till it forms a mesh. Don’t waterlog the substrate. Leave the plastic containing the substrate in an isolated place, so no much disturbance. Step 5: After 3 days you will notice lots of flies around the plastic containing the substrate, but before then, make sure, daily you wet the mixture by sprinkling water to the content, so it remains in a mesh form. Note : Once the content is dry...flies will only e

There is no point in setting up a farming venture when it cannot be sustained. The first key for a successful farming business is to count the cost before starting the farm. Having knowledge on the type of farm you want to engage in, knowing how the structure of the farm should be like, feed, water, market and importantly, vaccination protocol are all key issues one should have before starting a poultry farm. For instance in layer farming, more capital is required due to the feeding, vaccinations, etc. The farmer will only start making profit when the birds start laying eggs which is after 14 to 18 weeks and beyond. These titbits along with various techniques and procedures help the farmer ensure healthy quality birds. These techniques and procedures form the management practices. Once these procedures are followed, you get maximum and efficient production with minimal investment. 1. Acquisition of day old chicks To achieve good results, with healthy and robust birds, secure day ol

For a while now cider vinegar has been in the news because of all its great properties. The good news is there has been a lot of research into the benefits of feeding it to animals including chickens because it helps keep a bird's immune system that much stronger so they can fend off any nasty diseases and infections that often plague flocks. 1. Mild antiseptic and antibiotic properties There are many benefits of adding apple cider vinegar to chicken's drinking water because not only will it help kill off a lot of germs due to its mild antiseptic properties but it is thought that cider vinegar also boasts mild antibiotic properties too. In short, because chickens are prone to bacterial infections adding apple cider vinegar to their water helps prevent this from happening. It's the acidic nature of apple cider vinegar that's so good for chickens and which is such an effective means to kill off all those germs and bacteria that can sometimes take hold when a bird is

Fish farming has made a lot of progress in the last few years. It has already been honored as one of the lucrative businesses all across the world. The nutrition-conscious world is highly in demand for fishes as it is a great source of food as well as protein. Along with this, the growing population is further leading to a growing appetite for fish all over the world. Undeniably the world has entered a different and quite restrictive phase after the outburst of the pandemic. And meeting the growing demand for fish in such circumstances has created massive challenges for the suppliers. The feeling of déjà vu is real, as most of the countries have certainly become the victim of the second wave of covid-19. The phase of lockdown has tightened up the situations for the industry in a different and challenging manner. Where on one hand the vaccination campaigns are providing hope, on the other hand, the devastating situation due to the second wave is wreaking havoc in several regions.  In th

Simlpe goat housing I always love to share information about farming/agriculture. I believe that if we share what we know or have experienced in farming, we shall have many successful farmers. In this case we shall take K500 as our capital for starting a goat farm enterprise: 1.     Buy two she goats/does at K250 or more, costs less than this. 2.     With patience make a goal of making it after 5 years of investment, you will reap the benefits. In farming, there is nothing like planting seed today and tomorrow have the fruits, unless it's a miracle but rarely seen. 3.     Make sure your goats have access to clean fodder and water always. 4.     Provide good shelter, herdsmen (check their behaviour daily, check their poop daily, check for the sick and injured goats then report to vets) and good animal husbandry practices, avoid mating related goats as this can affect their performance. 5.     Know that a goat starts breeding at 6 months; 5 months pregnancy period; after

If you are tired of food crop prices always rising on the market, then it’s time to set up your own garden to grow your own food. When you want to start growing your crops you will need to consider certain things like what variety of crop, what time to start growing and how to prevent pests and diseases? Climatic and Soil Requirements You will need to consider other things like climate, soil, rainfall, and available space. 1. Climate : Some locales only have a brief growing season, such as Northern Europe and Africa. This means growing quick producing plant varieties that can be harvested and stored for the winter. Other areas have year-long warm weather, where fresh vegetables and grain can be harvested on demand. 2. Soil : Depending on the type you have available, you may expect very high yields from a large area, or meagre yields from small areas. The best plan to follow is to plant a food crop which flourishes in your conditions as a staple, and use surplus land to grow

There are many factors to consider when selecting a tilapia species. Here, in a nutshell, are the main advantages and disadvantages of each one. Which tilapia species is best for aquaculture? This is not as simple as it sounds; the answer depends on factors such as intended use, culture system and climatic and environmental conditions. The term ‘tilapia’ refers to all fish of the cichlid family that resemble the original genus Tilapia. In Southern Africa, naturally occurring tilapia fall into two genera: Oreochromis and Tilapia. Oreochromis are maternal mouth brooders, while Tilapia are substrate spawners. There are two indigenous species of each: 1. Oreochromis O. mossambicus : The Mozambique bream, or blue kurper, is the best-known tilapia species. It is deep-bodied and occurs in the warmer parts of South Africa in east-flowing rivers and dams. It has also been widely translocated to areas such as the Western Cape and Namibia. Red forms suitable for aquaculture are available.