"Not all forms of Nitrogen are equal"

Inspired by John Kempf talks at Groundswell we've change our fertilizer use: switching from granular Nitrate to delayed application of Foliar Fertilizer

x3 more water is used to convert nitrate to amino acids
compared to ammonium

Farmers only grow what they can sell - smallholders are no different

NGO projects focused on inputs & training & "changing attitudes" are part of the problem

The problem is not farmers knowledge - it's economics

We start by buying sorghum. Farmers are growing it

No miracles required:

We drove 500km to ensure farmers had seeds before the rains

Big iNGO in neighbouring district delayed & farmers there missed the window to plant before current dry spell

We already have the solutions to adapt to climate change but grant funded NGO projects are not it

Poor start to the season in Southern Zambia

Worth watching given the unprecedented drought last year

40% of farmers we are working with in Kalomo prioritized sorghum and planted early in November

The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining 🔆

The forecast for the coming season in Zambia is good, so we should invest in building sorghum value chains now, before the next El Nino comes back to bite us

* forecast from IRI