Agriculture

Arable land is plentiful in Zambia and this has been a priority for Zasp right from the start in their fight against poverty. Our aim is to improve conditions of life for small farmers by securing greater profits from farming and ensuring easier access to provisions.

Zasp has demonstration cultivations, different forms of composting and simple irrigation plants all used for education purposes at Zasp seminars.

Corn most important

Corn is the most important crop. Zasp has its own cultivations which generate an income for the project and which are used for demonstration purposes.
Other important crops both for consumption and retail are peanuts, sunflowers, soybeans, and cotton.

Zasps cultivation of, for instance, cabbage, tomatoes, onions and fruit, is also used for demonstration purposes, the fruit and vegetables even being sold at the market in Lundazi.

Flour and oil

The corn is ground to flour and used to make the porridge (nzima) which is the staple diet. There is a corn mill at the Zasp centre and the queues there are often long. Zasps owns a sunflower press used by both the project and villagers to press sunflower seeds to oil for their own consumption and retail sale.

Grain loans are granted by Zasp mainly to women prior to the cultivation season in October.

Tree planting

Zasp operates a tree planting project along with over 200 women in the area. They cultivate the saplings, clear the ground, plant, water and nurture thesaplings. Soy beans, for instance, are grown between the trees. They are paid for their work by Zasp with, for instance, corn, salt, cooking oil and soap.

The project is constantly developing and has become an important part of the women's development. It strengthens their position in society, gives them work and a democratic schooling. The planting of trees prevents soil erosion and contributes to a fertile soil.

Sunflower pressing.

Corn cultivation.

Irrigation of tree saplings.