Search Research Database
Project Record

Objectives:

To improve the agricultural performance of small-scale farms through the use of low-cost lime, produced by a local facility and proved by crop trials. Pilot demonstration.

Background:

Soil fertility is crucial to food productivity and in turn to sustainable rural livelihoods. Current farming practice in many developing countries often ignores the need for lime. The application of fertilisers and many traditional cultivation practices (eg slash and burn) have an acidifying effect upon soil. High soil acidity reduces crop yields. Without the use of lime to neutralise the acidity, once fertile farmland can become barren, and this can lead to desertification. Subsistence farmers cannot afford to use lime, as it is produced centrally and is expensive to transport. Therefore, the local availability of low-cost lime is critical, in order to improve the economic status of local farming communities. Small-scale farmers typically operate at the subsistence level. Providing access to a local, sustainable source of lime will provide many benefits. The lime production facility will provide employment opportunities for the rural poor. The lime produced will be affordable, allowing small-scale farmers to apply it to their land (possibly for the first time) and benefit from the improved crop yields. This will allow more small-scale farmers to break out of subsistence level farming by selling a greater proportion of their produce. As women dominate farming they will directly benefit. Increasing the local availability of food will also eventually bring down prices and benefit the wider community.

Intended Outputs:

Socio-economic/technical report on the constraints of aglime production and use.

Small-scale demonstration lime production facility (and distribution of lime to small-scale farmers).

Manual detailing means of replicating lime production facility.

Workshops, incorporating demonstration of lime production and visits to crop trial site.

Project summary report, video and flyer.

Progress and Impact:

First phase of socio-economic fieldwork completed and draft report received which indicated further survey work was required.

Initial lab and field milling trials are ongoing for lime production facility. Intial results are encouraging.

Assessment of availability of carbonate for lime production shows it is abundant and therefore not an issue.

Consultant contracted to provide information on current state of agriculture and agricultural lime production in Zambia.

Paper File Reference:

ENA 9800 832/540/031A

Associated References:

R6492