UNZA VC says School of Agricultural Sciences to begin direct enrolment of its first year students

UNZA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Luke Mumba and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Enala Tembo-Mwase tour the School of Agricultural Sceinces

The University of Zambia Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Luke Mumba, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Enala Tembo-Mwase visited and toured the School of Agricultural Sciences facilities on Monday, 15th April 2019. This was at the invitation of the Dean, School of Agricultural Sciences, Dr Benson Chishala.

Prof. Mumba announced that the School of Agricultural Sciences would start enrolling its students at First Year level directly as a way to grow the right number of students to meet its costs. He also challenged the School staff to scale up their efforts on the number of research publications in peer-reviewed publications.

In his report, Dr Chishala highlighted the successes achieved and challenges the school was facing. Worthy of note, was the school's impressive research in seed varieties such as wheat, cowpea, beans which, if commercialised, could help improve the yields and increase the income levels of the Zambian farmers.

Moreover, the School of Agricultural Sciences has been growing mushroom spawn for mushroom farming. The School has been carrying out research in spawn culture and growing in order to improve the mushrooming production in the country.

Additionally, the School has started aquaculture, particularly fish farming from its research field. The school has already harvested its fish twice since the last quarter of 2018. The next harvest is expected to be in June 2019. Besides, the school has been carrying out some business-based activities such as rearing chickens, goats, and diary cows.