NAIS- Farmers in Kasama District have begun restoring abandoned Chitemene fields with depleted soils through Sustainable Intensified Farming Practices (SIPs).
Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) Deputy Director, Mweshi Mukanga, said the adoption of SIPs will phase out the traditional Chitemene system of farming.
Mr. Mukanga was speaking during the monitoring of activities under the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project in Kasama.
He explained that farmers have also been introduced to inter-cropping agroforestry species with legumes, cereals, and tubers to enhance soil fertility.
Chanda Mukulu Agricultural Camp Officer, Kennedy Sichilima, added that farmers have invested in seed multiplication fields to increase the availability of agroforestry species that improve soil health.
Meanwhile, farmers in Chanda Mukulu Agricultural Camp observed that SIPs have enabled them to restore depleted soils and secure the future of agriculture in their communities.
