Farmers living in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia have a particularly hard time trying to grow crops in the dry season. In addition to a lack of water, they have to deal with marauding animals that are looking for food. Elephants, hippo and buffalo routinely raid crops, trampling them in the process and ruining the harvest. This has forced farmers to abandon dry season farming and resort to illegal game hunting to provide food for their families.
In 1999, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), initiated a pilot project to see whether solar powered electric fences could be used to protect crops, and if so, whether farmers might be encouraged to stop hunting game and continue to farm in the dry season. The project was set up in collaboration with the African College for Community Based Natural Resource Management (ACCBNRM). Four enclosures were fenced, each enclosing enough land to provide plots for between 40 and 60 households.
In each case, the fences reduced the number of raids by wildlife, and crop production increased. Families had vegetables to eat during the dry season, and as food production became more secure there was a striking reduction in illegal game hunting. At the same time, farmers were able to spend time on other income generating activities like poultry rearing, beekeeping and carpentry.
This project was an extension of the pilot. It aims to increase the number of fenced enclosures, to support dry season farmers by helping them to diversify their crops, and to show them techniques for renewing exhausted soil and simple ways of irrigating their land. At the same time, it hopes to maximise the value of the fences by developing marketing opportunities for farmers and making it easier for them to sell their produce.
