An irrigation project in Binga district is changing how people farm. The Saba Irrigation Scheme, located in Ward 13, pulls water from the Zambezi River. It was set up last year through a government and United Nations Development Programme effort called the Climate Adaptation, Water and Energy Programme, or CAWEP. The scheme covers twenty hectares, using center pivot and drip methods, and currently supports sixty-four families.
The chairman, Luckson Muleya, called the project a miracle for an area known for hunger. Farmers have moved beyond just small grains to growing maize, sugar beans, and chili. They operate as a cooperative, sharing the income. While elephants have been a problem, an electric fence built by the UNDP now helps protect the fields. Local farmers like Monica Mupambe and Richard Munkuli say having constant water lets them grow fresh crops all year, improving diets and livelihoods.
Ward Councilor Boniface Munkombwe and Chief Saba, Charles Mudenda, both highlight the shift from waiting for rain to continuous production. They hope for expansion and have requested basic farming tools, as currently, equipment must be borrowed. An agriculture officer, Tendayi Msasa, noted the scheme's particular benefit for women, who now have productive garden work instead of foraging. This project is part of a larger national strategy to build climate resilience in vulnerable areas.
The chairman, Luckson Muleya, called the project a miracle for an area known for hunger. Farmers have moved beyond just small grains to growing maize, sugar beans, and chili. They operate as a cooperative, sharing the income. While elephants have been a problem, an electric fence built by the UNDP now helps protect the fields. Local farmers like Monica Mupambe and Richard Munkuli say having constant water lets them grow fresh crops all year, improving diets and livelihoods.
Ward Councilor Boniface Munkombwe and Chief Saba, Charles Mudenda, both highlight the shift from waiting for rain to continuous production. They hope for expansion and have requested basic farming tools, as currently, equipment must be borrowed. An agriculture officer, Tendayi Msasa, noted the scheme's particular benefit for women, who now have productive garden work instead of foraging. This project is part of a larger national strategy to build climate resilience in vulnerable areas.
