Buying Seed and Fertilizer by Cory

The Jembo Church farmers were invited to bring a sample of their seed and soil to be prayed over during last week's service.

Prayers continue for a good harvest next year to ease the suffering from the drought and crop failures earlier this year.

The government has done very well getting seed and fertilizer vouchers on time to the small farmers for 2.5 acres or less of land. 

In past years much of it arrived late.

So the stores are struggling to keep up with demand.

Monday I called a large supplier in Choma, and they gave a price which was low enough to pay for the trip vs. going to Monze, which is closer.

When we arrived the stores with good prices were out of stock or couldn't ship.

 So Thursday we went to Monze and successfully bought seed, fertilizer and lime, although most of the stores there were also crowded.

A flat bed truck had been hired to bring the fertilizer and lime to Jembo.

We delayed getting fertilizer until the soil test results arrived Monday.

The testing was well worth the cost since now we know that about 1/3 of the land only needs nitrogen and sulfer; about half is extremely acid, needing dolmitic lime and all the regular fertillizers.

When we were ready to return to Jembo, crowds gathered along the streets to see a massive piece of equipment that had come from Asia, through Namibia and Livingstone, traveling  to the Copperbelt in northwest Zambia.

It will produce pure oxygen for smelting copper and increase Zambia's copper production.

The Agriculture Project for the Global Partners website was delayed again waiting for the local bank account which  needed some "clarification" on the documents before opening the account but we hope to have the project on GP soon to help with getting the new farm established.

We have seed and fertilizer now for 55 acres of corn, with more land for corn, soybeans and sunflower to be planted before mid December.