Eastern Farmers urged to Prepare Early for Drier 2026/27 Farming Season
FARMERS in Eastern Province has been urged to take seriously the weather advisories that are being issued through various mass media platforms by the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), in order to plan better for the 2026/2027 farming season.
Isaac Namakando, an assistant meteorological officer based at Msekera Research Station in Chipata, says farmers should complement the weather updates with the planting of early-maturing and drought-tolerant seed varieties to minimise the possible effects of the projected drier conditions in much of the southern parts of the region.
And Chipata district’s Katambo 2 Camp Agricultural Assistant Lackson Chookole said the department of agricultural services had put measures in place including block-based awareness meetings in order to adequately prepare farmers to respond to the anticipated EI Nino conditions during the season.
He also encouraged farmers to use climate-smart agricultural practices such as minimum tillage and crop diversification which are being taught through EPJSLP-supported farmer field schools, to improve resilience and production outcomes.
Meanwhile, Doris Njovu, a lead farmer of Katambo 2 agriculture camp in Chipata urged fellow farmers to avoid selling all their produce from the previous season, saying retaining adequate stocks is essential for household food security.
“Let us also embrace metal silos and hermetic storage bags to reduce post-harvest losses and maintain food security, especially during a season when pro-longed dry-spells are expected across most parts of the district,” she said.
The trio was speaking Monday, during an EPJSLP-supported radio programme on Breeze 89.3 FM.
According to the recently released rainfall forecast, below-normal rainfall is likely over much of Zambia during the 2026/2027 farming season, while above-normal rainfall is projected over Luapula, Northern and Muchinga provinces, including the northern parts of North-Western province.
📻 Tune in next Monday on Breeze 89.3 FM, for more insights into the Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Programme (EPJSLP).
By Gloria Suwisha-NAIS
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