Farmer, Mackson Zimba
Based in Kahonoko village of Chief Magodi in Chasefu district, Mackson Zimba is a farmer who has a focus on gardening. Mackson has quite a dynamic model of farming: In the face of climate change, Mackson has embraced a component of agroforestry in his farming system. Cashew nut trees spread across his farming land are what you see when you visit Mackson’s place. He grows his cash crops intercropped with the Cashew trees.
Before now, Mackson Zimba had faced some challenges in his gardening that prevented him from expanding. Not having a reliable source of water, inability to acquire gardening tools and the high cost of farming inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides are some of the serious problems he had. The coming of Jacana in his village has helped in solving some of these problems. He now has hope of realizing his dream of expanding his business.
Watch Mackson Zimba soon after he got a pump from Jacana
About Mackson Zimba
Mackson Zimba is a married man and has 6 children, all boys. Mackson has vast experience in security management, following his long carrier in the security industry. Trained as a police officer, Mackson worked in the police service for some years but later left to join the mines on the Copperbelt. At the mines, he worked in the security management division. He later decided to move to Lusaka and joined Agriflora Farms. It was at Agriflora that his passion for gardening developed. In 2015, he left Agriflora and moved to the village in Chasefu to start his gardening business. Mackson’s main occupation now is farming. During the rainy season, he grows crops like; maize, groundnuts, and sunflower. In the garden, he grows; crops like onion, tomato, Irish potatoes, and cabbage. Mackson also keeps doves at home. Apart from the cash crops, Mackson has also established cashew-nut trees around his farming land. When he started gardening in 2015, Mackson faced challenges with water, and the ever-rising prices of farming inputs, especially fertilizers and pesticides. After being selected by Jacana in Lundazi, to be part of the project ‘’from autopilot to champion farmer” sponsored by AFAS Foundation, Mackson is hopeful that his dreams of growing crops in a less costly way will come true. This is possible through using crop residues, animal manure, and other inexpensive ingredients to make organic fertilizers. On the other hand, the use of organic pesticides.
Donor
Mackson Zimba is supported by AFAS Foundation.
Jacana’s role
- Business training
- A borehole and a solar pump.
- Agro support (partly sponsored agro supplies and inputs) and guidance
- Bookkeeping guidance.
Provided training
You can also download the manuals for these trainings:
Guidance and monitoring
January 2024
Apart from growing vegetable crops, Mackson was encouraged to expand and diversify by intercropping vegetables with fruits. Taking advantage of the rains for easy establishment of fruit seedlings, Mackson has begun planting bananas in his demo plot. Mackson was visited and guided in banana establishment and care for banana plants by pruning old leaves and maintaining a population of 3 to 4 suckers per banana plant station.
Guidance and monitoring
December 2023
Mackson was visited and guided on several issues: from the identification of the bean stem maggot infestation in cowpeas and beans and its control. His cowpeas and beans were attacked by BSM. Bean stem maggot causes damage by eating the stem just below the root collar. Mackson was also guided in how to care for tomato seedlings to prevent and manage the fungal disease by pruning off old leaves to avoid them from touching the ground, which is in most cases, the source of leaf blight, especially for tomatoes grown during the rainy season.
November 2023
In November Mackson Zimba was invited to Jacana Lundazi office to take part in a training that focused on Pests and disease management using a combination of farming practices that prevent pests and disease build-up such as crop rotation and intercropping, with the use of organic pesticides. Mackson learnt how to formulate organic pesticides using naturally occurring and inexpensive materials.
October 2023
Unlike the common practice of growing groundnuts during the rainy season and selling them fresh, when it becomes common on the markets, Mackson has decided to try and grow irrigated groundnuts, He plans to supply these groundnuts ‘fresh’ to the women traders that sell boiled groundnuts, which the local residents consume a lot as a snack. Here Mackson is hand-pulling some weeds that were left off after the main wedding with a hoe.
September 2023
Mackson was visited and guided by Jacana on how to care for seedlings in a nursery. Producing healthy crops begins from the nursery stage: starting from soil preparation, to post-germination management up to when a plant is ready for transplant into the main field. The seedling nursery should be free from weeds, pests and diseases at all times. Avoiding these reduces production losses significantly.
August 2023
In August, Mackson was visited by Jacana and guided in measuring out his demo plot, following the garden layout that was made earlier. Mackson working together with his son measured out 6 small plots around his farmland.
July 2023
Soon after business training, Mackson with guidance from Jacana sat down to make a layout plan for his demo plot. Making a layout plan is very important before implementation because it brings different ideas that one might have in one place. The outcome of making a garden layout ensures that all resources are used most efficiently.
June 2023
Jacana trainers, Bester Sakala and Chongo Phiri organized a training to teach farmers how to make 4 types of organic fertilizers namely: Bokashi, Berkeley, Lab serum, and Liquid tea fertilizer. Mackson enjoyed the practical part of the training. After the training, Mackson and his colleagues each received 5 liters of molasses to make their first organic fertilizer at home.
May 2023
Early in May, Mackson Zimba together with other selected farmers across Lundazi, Lumezi, and Chasefu was invited to take part in a business training workshop. The training focuses on business and finance planning. Farmers learned how to successfully plan for their business by identifying customers’ problems and working on providing solutions to such problems, that way a business venture becomes practical and viable. During the training, Mackson managed to make a business plan for one of his garden products.
