Zambia: Part 1 Aret, 753.000 kn2. ZAMBIA
Country and Project Background Population 6.44 million (1984 estimate based on 1980 census)
and Results of Initial Diagnosis 43% urban; growth rate 3.1% per year. Density: 7.5 per km2.
Income GDP, 1975: K 1,584 million; 1982: K 3,564 million.
Exports: copper (88%), agriculture (1%).
Resources Mining (31%); agriculture (100%o).
Elevation 1,000-1,300 in.
Rain fall North: 1,000-1,400 mm; south and east: 600-1,100 nn.
Climate Tropical. November-April: warm, wet season, long rains.
Between 1981 and 1984, the Adaptive Research Planning Team (ARPT), May-August: cool, dry winter season (14' to 30 C).
located in the Central Province of Zambia, undertook a number of diag- September-October: hot, dry season.
nostic surveys in order to understand local farming systems and deter- October: short rains.
mine promising agricultural research opportunities. As the time came to Vegetation Woodland savannah.
plan the next season's activities, the team members reviewed what they Currency Kwacha (K). 2.5K U.S. $1 (1984).
knew about the Zambian government's objectives, the characteristics of CENTRAL PROVINCE-MKUStll DISTRICT
the local farming systems, and the farmers' views. Popuation Density: 3 per km2.
Elevation: 1,000-1,200 m.
Rainfall: 800-1,000 mm; predominantly November to April.
Soils: Generally sandy (Sandveldt) soils; pockets of heavier textured
COUNTRY BACKGROUND soils, dambos.
Zambia became an independent country on 24 October 1964. It is a landlocked country, lying on the Great Central African Plateau. It has a tropical climate and vegetation, with three distinct seasons. Like most have a very small share of the jobs in the formal sector; only 8 percent of
part., of Africa, Zambia has experienced unreliable rainfall conditions all employees in 1980 were females. However, in rural areas, women prosince 1978, characterized by late arrival of rain, a short rainfall season, vide on average 60 percent of the agricultural labor.
and inadequate rainfall. Such conditions particularly hurt small farmers According to a 1980 International Labor Organization (ILO) estimate
who depend almost entirely on rains for growing their crops. Small farm- of basic needs income, about 60 percent of Zambia's households were
ers account for most of the maize production, and their drop in produc- considered to have incomes below a basic needs level; of this, 85 percent
tion, therefore, could not be easily absorbed: It led to drastic food short- were estimated to be living in rural areas. Health services in Zambia are
ages, especially for the urban population, and also a drop in the income provided by the government. In 1980 only 15 percent of the total populaof small farmers. tion was outside twelve kilometers' reach of a health institution.
The marketed agricultural production is produced by large-scale Primary schooling has long been compulsory for girls and boys, and
commercial and small-scale commercial and subsistence farmers. The con- women have been particularly encouraged to participate in adult literacy
tribution to marketed maize production (the main staple and cash crop) classes. Girls constituted 30 percent of secondary entrants and 15 percent
by small-scale farmers was 46 percent in 1973. It rose to a peak of 70 per- of university students. The school year runs from mid-January to midvent in the 1976 season, and then declined to 60 percent and 46 percent May, mid-June to mid-August, and mid-September to the beginning of
in 1980 and 1981, respectively. December.
Zambia is the third-most urbanized country in Africa after Algeria and Zambia is characterized by a diversity of cultures and tribal customs,
South Africa. The rural population is sparsely located in scattered settle- with seventy-three tribal languages. Thus there are variations in the genments. The normal pattern of rural habitation is in small settlements and der division of labor, particularly between districts and ecological zones.
hamlets without any large well-nucleated villages. The uneven population Division of labor depends on family structure, traditional and tribal cusdistribution creates serious problems in providing social services. Women toms, as well as the occupation of the household members.