Government leaders from the Republics of Malawi and Zambia listen to Ph.D. student Will Lashley explain the college’s ginger cultivation projects during a tour of the University Farm recently.
The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences welcomed a delegation of government leaders from the Republics of Malawi and Zambia to campus on July 24, showcasing agricultural research and techniques the nations may consider adopting.
The visit, in partnership with the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the N.C. National Guard, is part of a program that seeks to build civilian partnerships between the African countries, the U.S. government and the agricultural sector through the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, which pairs U.S. states with partner nation military forces and government agencies to enhance national security.
Led by Zambia’s Minister of Defense Ambrose Lufuma, a group of about 50 toured the University Farm’s dairy, including the Automated Milking System; the beef cattle unit, emphasizing breeding techniques; the poultry unit; and the high-tunnel horticultural research area, including ginger research.
The delegates also learned about Cooperative Extension, a program they are considering implementing in their countries.
Zambia and Malawi both list agriculture as a major economic driver and source of employment, but have current challenges in the area, including a three-year-long drought that has severely impacted food security in south-central Africa, according to N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) in partnership with the African countries of Moldova, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), sponsored a delegation of representatives of these countries in a tour of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Farm. In the photo, N.C. Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler, center, greets the delegates at the entrance to the N.C. A&T Farm Pavilion as they return from a farm tour.
“Agriculture is vital for the rural livelihoods of both nations,” Troxler said. “In both Zambia and Malawi, agriculture Is a major source of employment and economic driver. Both countries are implementing policies and initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity; however, the governments implementing these policies will face many challenges. That’s where assistance is needed and where N.C. agriculture has been asked to help.”
The group learned strategies for higher yields, how to use technology to grow more food on less acreage and climate-resilient agricultural practices, including water-saving practices.
“This is such an important partnership,” said Antoine Alston, Ph.D., associate dean for academics in the college “When you lack the ability to feed your people, you have a security issue. N.C. A&T is uniquely poised to help the National Guard, in our national interest, thanks to the multitude of small-farms programs we have, which can easily be transferred to our Malawi and Zambia partners.”
The group’s other stops in North Carolina included a tour of the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, the N.C. State University livestock farm and Commissioner Troxler’s Guilford County farm.
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