From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZAMBIA: ERRATIC RAINFALL PUTS FARMERS ON THE MOVE
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 01:21:59 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Environment
Reference: Africa, southern
Title: ZAMBIA: ERRATIC RAINFALL PUTS FARMERS ON THE MOVE


an inter press service feature

by jowie mwiinga

lusaka, dec 16 (ips) -- angelina malambo is a typical peasant
farmer in zambia's southern province and, until drought
devastated agricultural production this year, she had all along
managed to raise enough food for her family.

this year's famine in the province was unheard-of, says the
elderly woman who feels humiliated to depend on a food for work
programme sponsored by non-governmental organisations in order
to feed her 11 children.

she recalls with nostalgia the days, only over a year ago,
when her household was self-sufficient in food, and earned a
handsome income from maize sales. malambo also enjoyed a measure
of respect in her community on account of her cattle herd.

the unprecedented drought in the southern african region has
totally wiped out the culture of over a million people in the
province.

dubbed the maize belt for its high yields in good
agricultural seasons, the province has been zambia's granary,
usually producing surplus for export to grain deficit areas in
neighbouring countries.

over 70 percent of its people are peasant farmers whose
wealth has traditionally been measured by the size of one's
granary and heads of cattle. but the drought has reversed the
bliss into an aura of despair and, malambo says: ''we live only
by the grace of god''.

food storehouses and cattle pens in the villages are for the
most part empty. although the rainy season started in november,
the cumulative quantity recorded by meteorological stations is
below normal over most of zambia.

meanwhile, swarms of army worms have invaded the southern
province and started destroying sprouting maize and grass
shoots.

according to the southern africa development community (sadc)
regional early warning unit, satellite imagery indicates worse
conditions than last year in northern and eastern zambia.

the sadc unit reports a generally late start of the rains in
most of the countries it covers, namely angola, botswana,
lesotho, malawi, mozambique, namibia, swaziland, tanzania,
zambia and zimbabwe. (more/ips)


zambia: erratic (2)

in its latest bulletin, the sadc regional early warning unit
says dry conditions in southern malawi, central and southern
mozambique, namibia, swaziland and northern zimbabwe are viewed
with concern.

though scanty, the rains have been favourable to the outbreak
of corridor disease and tick-borne infections in the surviving
herds of livestock.

while it is difficult to assess the impact of weather
conditions on harvest prospects, breeders are destocking at a
loss before their animals are decimated by the fast spreading
diseases.

''it is a no win situation'', says barnabas sampa, monze
district veterinary officer.

not only is the veterinary personnel in the area inadequate,
but also resources are scarce and the awareness campaign among
peasant farmers often falls on deaf ears.

''monze has a cattle population of over 10,000 but with only
10 dip tanks and 18 veterinary staff to man the whole district.
that's how bad things are'', sampa explains.

moreover, most peasant farmers can ill afford to buy the
drugs neccessary to keep their animals healthy. seed and
fertilizer supplies are reported to be adequate but prices are
prohibitive to most small-scale growers.

peasant farmers in the southern province are giving up the
land they have owned for generations and migrating to other
parts of zambia, where rain patterns have remained relatively
stable.

but for most of them, migrating is a painful decision as they
have to start their normal economic activities afresh.
(end/ips/jm/ar/92)