Zambia Agribusiness Society

Most times, farmers or intending farmers think about land, capital, breeds, disease control, vaccination, farm structures and other requirements that they look at as more important than others. However, to the contrary, research and experience show that the most valuable and important resource of all, the Human resource is given little attention. As farms grow in stock and other operations, the owners can no longer rely on family members as source of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled labour. Before one knows it, they need to employ and manage 10 employees and the years go by, the number keeps on increasing. Employing the right people on the farm is one thing and effectively managing them is the other. The key skills and tips to manage these employees make a difference between a failed farm and a successful farm. The following are the skills, expertise and strategies to effectively manage employees on your farm: 1. Good communication mechanism. Established to communicate with ...

Getting and keeping good workers is a challenge every farm owner or manager has to deal with on a day to day basis. Good workers are hard to find, so when you get one, you have to do everything possible to retain them. Below are some tips on how to retain good workers on your farm. 1. Comfortable accommodation Some farm owners provide better accommodation for their livestock than for the workers who look after them. I have seen this in parts of Mukono, Mbarara, Hoima and the central, true it is the livestock generating the money, but without the workers to look after them properly, their productivity will soon drop. So why dose a goat or cow even a pig sleep comfortably than the care taker. Buy them good mattresses, blankets and make them eat their money well (farm workers). 2. Good food You would expect farm workers to have the best meals, since food is produced cheaply on the farm; however this is not always the case. Unless they steal some it is common for a worker on ...

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a hardy crop that can survive low winter temperatures. While temperature and day length influence bulb formation, this is to a lesser extent than demonstrated by onions. Most conditions suitable for onion production also apply to garlic cultivation, with the ideal growth temperatures between 13°C and 24°C. Planting Space the divided cloves 8cm to 15cm apart in rows 30cm to 40cm apart. Plant the cloves approximately 50mm deep on raised beds or on level ground, by hand or mechanically. While the ideal planting date varies from one area to another, the general recommendation in South Africa is from February to May. Fertilisation Before planting, work compost into the soil to improve its fertility and structure. At planting, broadcast about 125g/m², 3:2:3 granular fertiliser. During the growing period, which lasts about six to eight weeks after planting, apply 40g/m² of 3:2:3 as a light side-dressing. Irrigation Garlic is successful under furrow, ...

Proper air flow is very vital for optimal performance of our birds but many farmers often see it as something to neglect! Some problems we have on our farms could be traced to ventilation and they often arise when not looked into from the onset (brooding). Air is needed for the breakdown of ingested feed, elimination of ammonia gas and carbon monoxide from the brooder, cool the body of the birds, remove dampness, helps in proper litter management and also reduces the risk of quick spread of diseases. When a brooder house is poorly ventilated (fully sealed brooder house with tarplis or polyethene papers, it gives room for little or no air to come in. oxygen is needed for food metabolism and when absent, food metabolism is slowed which can result to stunted growth. The already exhaled air is still reused by the birds which is detrimental to them. The moisture from the droppings and evaporation from waterers are also trapped thereby making the litter wet and the environment humid. Wet lit...

Tamarind is a hardwood tree scientifically known as Tamarindus indica. It's a native tree in Africa specifically Sudan but also grows in India and many other tropical regions around the globe. The tree produces bean-like pods filled with seeds surrounded by a fibrous pulp. The pulp of the young fruit is green and sour. As it ripens, the juicy pulp becomes paste-like and more sweet-sour. The tree tolerates a great diversity of soil types, from deep alluvial soil to rocky land. It withstands salt spray and can be planted close to the seashore. Tamarind seeds remain viable for months and will germinate in a week after planting, and it can be propagated through seed sowing, stem cutting and many other propagation methods like shield-budding, side-veneer grafting, or air-layering. Tamarind is one of those trees that has been utilized in several ways for instance, its leaves are eaten by cattle and goats as fodder grass as a supplement it is a better alternative for livestock far...

Cattle respiring to cool off “As uncomfortable as we are during the heat of the day, it is important to remember cattle generally do not handle heat as well as humans,” according to Dr. Rick Machen, Professor and Texas AgriLife Extension Service Specialist. Heat stress is a function of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. The core body temperature of cattle does not peak until two hours after the peak in ambient temperature, which often comes at five o’clock or later. Cattle need at least six hours to dissipate the heat accumulated during the day. Consequently, night-time cooling is essential for managing heat stress. Warm humid nights with no breeze following a plus 100-degree day pose a real challenge for cattle. Machen offered the following tips for managing livestock during times of potential heat stress. 1. Do not work cattle after 10a.m. on potentially (heat) stressful days. 2. Do not work cattle in the evening of a heat stressed day. 3. Wait...

Have you ever considered rabbit farming as a top business opportunity? Though rabbit meat may not be as common as chicken, beef, or pork, there’s no doubt it’s a very lucrative business; every year, over one million tons of rabbit meat is consumed worldwide. In Africa, the consumption of rabbit meat is gradually taking off and a few farmers on the continent are already enjoying the benefits of this niche business. Rabbits are also easy to raise; they’re clean and require little capital, labour, time and space to manage. Three major reasons why you should seriously consider the rabbit farming business opportunity include; 1. There is a Huge Market Opportunity for Rabbits The growing rate of heart disease and related ailments has increased awareness of the harmful effects of cholesterol in our diets. More people are now going for ‘white’ meat which contains low amounts of cholesterol. Unlike ‘red meats’ (especially beef and pork), white meats like poultry, fish, ostrich and r...