GLO Zambia Agriculture Report June – August 2025

The report provides an update on the progress, sales, and challenges of the vegetable garden project focusing on Rape and Chinese cabbage over three months. The garden served both as a source of food and income and a training model for the GAP year volunteer students and the community.

GLO Vegetable Garden

Garden Progress

Land Preparation: A small plot measuring approximately 10m X 20m was prepared using hand tools and compost.

Planting: 
- Rape: approx. 1,200 plants were established
- Chinese cabbage: approx. 800 plants were planted

Maintenance: The crops were watered daily, weeded regularly, and sprayed with pesticides when necessary.

Harvesting: Both Rape and Chinese cabbage were harvested weekly after 4 weeks of growth. 

Sales Performance

The following summarizes sales income and expenses: 

Rape Income: ZMW672 (US$28)
Chinese Cabbage Income: ZMW890 (US37)

Total Income: ZMW1,562 (US$65)
Expenses: ZMW1,000 (US$41.67)
Net Profit: ZMW562 (US$23.41) 

Challenges

Pests and Diseases: Aphids and cutworms affected crop quality, especially Rape
Water Constraints: Irrigation was difficult during dry spells, leading to stress on plants
Market Prices: At times, Rape prices dropped as low as ZMW3 ($0.12 USD) per bundle when supply was high
Labor: Limited labour made weeding and harvesting time-consuming 

Conclusion

The 3-month vegetable garden project recorded moderate success, with a total income of ZMW1,562 (US$65.O8) and a net profit of ZMW562 (US$23.41).

The project demonstrates that it can provide household food security and income, though challenges remain.

Recommendations:
- Explore small-scale drip irrigation to reduce watering challenges
- Apply natural pest control methods to lower costs
- Expand customer base by targeting local shops, clinic, and local marketeers
- Stagger planting to avoid flooding the market at once and having continuous supply of vegetables.

GLO GAP Volunteers

A total of six GAP volunteers were trained in agriculture for three months using the Foundations for Farming technics. They were taught stewardship of natural resources, money, their lives and other beings surrounding them.

They also learnt on how to have a productive vegetable garden which included site selection, land preparation, vegetable bed preparation, planting, weed control using mulching, and organic pest control methods and each student was assigned to make two beds for vegetables.

Crops planted: Chinese cabbage and Rape. Unfortunately, all the vegetables were in small quantities, so no significant sales were made, nevertheless, the garden played a significant role in learning practically and also provided vegetables for their meals.

Challenges: Lack of resources to purchase suitable tools for practical lessons.

Community Agriculture - Alpha Farming Project Report 

Period covered: May-June 2025

Post Harvest Yields of 12 Farmers (all planted 1 lima)

Thomas Matonge 
2023/24 yield = 9 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 20 x 50kg bags

Everlyn Chingomi
2023/24 yield = 8 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 17 x 50kg bags

Dimas Kalaba
2023/24 yield = 11 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 24 x 50kg bags

Jose Mwape
2023/24 yield = 9 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 21 x 50kg bags

Nchima Chalwe
2023/24 yield = 4 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 18 x 50kg bags

2023/24 yield = 7 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 23 x 50kg bags

Frank Chisenga
2023/24 yield = 10 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 25 x 50kg bags

Clementina Culopa
2023/24 yield = 12 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 26 x 50kg bags

Moses Mulenga
2023/24 yield = 12 x 50kg bags
2024/25 yield = 19 x 50kg bags

The above yields indicate the results of using Foundations for Farming or conservation farming during the 2024/2025 farming season and was supervised by agriculture training personnel from GLO Zambia with support from Bright Hope World. With these yields, farmers are food secure as they are looking forward to another farming season of 2025/26.

Some farmers managed to sell some of their harvest to Zambia Food Reserve Agent, a government agency that looks at national food security. 

Way Forward with Alpha Farmers

- Diversification: Planting other cash crops like soya beans and Groundnuts while maintaining the same size of the field of maize in the coming farming season.
- Continuous adherence to foundation for Farming technics which focuses on rebuilding the soil and good stewardship of the general environment. 

Challenges

- Monitoring challenge to GLO Zambia agriculture training personnel due to a lack of transport facilities.
- Lack of farming inputs for farmers poses a huge challenge as well as most of the soils are depleted hence need organic farm input products to improve the soil

Alpha Farmer’s Garden at GLO Zambia

The Alpha farmers planted about 20m x 8m plot for vegetables but due to a lack of resources to control the fungal disease that attacked the Chinese cabbage it resulted in a huge loss although they managed to sell vegetables worth ZMW930 (US$38.74).

Total input was K760 (US$31.66) for seeds, chicken manure and fungicides and profit made was K170 (US$7.08).

They reinvested the money in cabbages and fresh maize which will be ready for sale beginning of December 2025.