Zambia Crop Calendar

Covering the valley areas of the Zambezi and Luangwa River systems mostly in the southern parts of Western and Southern Provinces, north-western parts of Eastern Province, as well as southern and eastern parts of Lusaka Province. The region is characterized by low rainfall of 600-800mm per annum, frequent drought spells and risk of floods, high mean annual temperatures above 30 degrees Celcius and a short growing season of 80-100 days for rainfed crops. The region is predominated by Arenosols, Lithosol-Cambisols and Cambisol-Luvisol soil types with patches of Acrisols and Fluvisol-Vertisols. Mopane woodlands and Termitaria are the main vegetation types covering the region.

Practices: Sorghum, Millet and Cotton cultivation as well as Livestock rearing (goats, cattle and chickens) are the main agricultral activities. Some Maize, Rice, Cowpeas, Bananas and Vegetables are also grown by smallscale farmers on river banks, dambos and banks of Lake Kariba. Farmers use hand hoes and to some extent animal draft power for cultivation and largely rely on family labour. Rainfed cropping is constrained by low rainfall, short growing period, droughts, floods and shallow soils.

Covering the Sandveld plateau areas of Eastern, Central and Southern Zambia, the region is characterized by a mean annual rainfall of 800-1000mm, a growing season of 80-130 days, moderate mean maximum temperatures of around 28 degrees Celcius and relatively fertile soils that are predominated by Fluvisols-Vertisols, Acrisols, Luvisol-Phaeozem, Gleysols and Vertisols. The dry Miombo woodlands, Savanna woodlands and Grasslands are the main vegetation types found in AER IIa.

Practices: Maize, Cassava, Sorghum, Groundnuts, Sweet Potatoes, Soyabean, Cotton and Vegetables are the major crops grown with Sunflower in some few areas. Sugarcane, Irish Potato and Wheat are important irrigated crops grown on commercial scale. Farmers use hand hoes or animal draft power or mechanised equipment and rely on either family or hired labour. Cattle and Small Livestock rearing (broilers, layers, goats, sheep, pigs) is a major enterprise among smallscale and commercial farmers. Agriculture production and productivity is constrained by frequent dry spells and shortages of water.

Covering the eastern, central and western parts of Western Province. The region is predominated by the Zambezi floodplain and characterized by Kalahari sands, mean annual rainfall of 800-1000 mm, a growing season of 100-120 days with relatively long sunshine hours, and with Podsols and Arenosols as major soil types. The Kalahari woodlands, Savanna woodlands and Grassland are the main vegetation types found in AER IIb.

Practices: Cassava, Pearl Millet, Sorghum and some Maize are grown on the upland Kalahari soils. Maize, Groundnuts, Sweet Potato and Rice are important crops in the Borotse Plains. Farmers mostly use hand hoes and animal draft power for cultivation and mostly relying on family labour. The maize in the Barotse Plain and upland wetlands is planted in August/September then rainfed maize in November. Cattle rearing is also an important agricultural enterprise. Agriculture in general is constrained by Kalahari sands on the uplands and short crop growing season on the Barotse Plain attributed to late flood recession.

Covering the northern half of Zambia. The region is characterized by mean annual rainfall of 1000-1500mm, a long crop growing season of 130-150 days, high humidity during the rainy season, moderate mean annual temperatures of around 26-28 degrees Celcius, and highly leached Ferralsols, Lithosol-Ferralsols, Acrisols, Lithosol-Cambisol and Arenosols bearing strong acidity and severe aluminium toxicity and pockets of Gleysols. The vegetation types found in AER III are Miombo woodlands, Montane forests, Swamp forests, Riparian forests, Kalahari woodlands, Grassland and Terminalia.

Practices: Cassava, Common Beans, Finger Millet, Pearl Millet, Maize, Sweet Potatoes, Rice and Groundnuts are the major crops grown. Tea, Coffee, Soyabean, Pineapple, and Sugarcane are other impotant cash crops. Cropping is constrained by low soil fertility attributed to strong acidity and inadequate fallow periods between successive cropping, high humidity and cloud cover in the rainy season. Smallscale farmers mainly use hand hoes for cultivation and rely on family and/or hired labour. Livestock rearing (goats, sheep, dairy) including commercial poultry production are also important agricultural enterprises.