Conservation Farming Unit manager Alex Nakachinda, who is in charge of the western region, said small-scale farmers in Mumbwa hoped to increase their crop yields because of conservation farming.

In conservation farming techniques, plant residue from the previous crop are left on the land to minimise erosion and provide organic material.

This considerably reduces the need for expensive chemical fertilisers. The basins are, meanwhile, dug carefully to avoid turning up the earth which keeps the nutrients in the soil alive and retains precious moisture.

Mr Shamabonse said that previously, farmers used to record low yields because of poor farming methods coupled with late planting and a lack of inputs.

The district commissioner was speaking when a parliamentary committee on agriculture and food security from Uganda paid a courtesy call on him at his office during the week.

Ugandan delegation leader Mathias Kasamba said his team was in Zambia on a study tour of the conservation farming areas.

Mr Kasamba said Uganda could learn conservation farming methods in order to increase productivity in a country which has a huge population but low crop production.

He said farmers in the East African country were still practising unconventional methods of farming which he said were unprofitable.

The delegation leader said despite two farming seasons in Uganda, crop production had remained low, hence the need to learn new farming methods.

Mr Kasamba commended the Zambian Government and the conservation farming unit for allowing parliamentarians from his country to conduct a study tour and take lessons back home.