THE AIM. To double crop yields on this smallholding by 2050. That’s needed to keep pace with local population growth. How? By trialling new crops with better drought & disease resistance, taking advantage of the newly installed water supply and managed irrigation; by advancing farming methods & equipment.
Setting up
- A 25-year lease has been agreed on suitable plot for crop trials.
- The land has been fenced.
- Reliable irrigation was the first challenge. A hydrographic survey identified the best location for a borehole.
- A 115m borehole has been drilled & lined; a pump & power supply installed.
- A tower has been erected with two 5m3 storage tanks
- Irrigation lines have been installed
- Under construction by Benmak’s family is a modest farmhouse providing accommodation, storage & a meeting room, constructed mainly from traditional materials already available on site – timber, murram clay.
- Longer term, a small tractor with plough, seed drill, front bucket and trailer would boost productivity; farm equipment that can be shared by all nearby smallholders in the Climate Action Network.
- Finally, at some future stage, solar panels and a battery pack will help contain power costs.
Seasonal cash crops trialled to date:
Trials are underway with different seasonal vegetable and cereal crops to establish what works in this soil and with the weather currently prevailing. Maize. Beans. Groundnuts. Onions. Collards.
- Maize Heavy crop after intensive manuring test
- Beans Reasonable
- Onions Overall, unsuccessful
- Collards Better than expected. Surplus seedlings distributed.
Most importantly, experience gained – good and bad – is shared with the wider community through Benmak’s WhatsApp group ‘Climate Action Network’.
