A NDOLA small-scale farmer has called on men in the agriculture sector to partner with their spouses and share proceeds from their suffering together as opposed to relegating them to mere labourers in their own farms.

Moses Chiluba in an interview recently said joint partnerships in farming could help couples realise full benefits out of farming and enhance transparency in the expenditure of income generated from such activities.

It has been observed that women make up about 75 per cent contribution to food security nationally mainly because they are the ones who work on the land while their husbands hold title deeds and only come in to make decisions based on the income realised from the proceeds after the sale of crops.

Mr Chiluba urged the menfolk to come out of their dominance stance because the practice only worked to discourage their spouses from contributing to important decisions which otherwise spur family holdings or farming to higher heights.

" My advice to my fellow men is that farming is more profitable if they embraced their wives in the venture as equal partners because when couples get married, they automatically become one ," he said.

He cited himself and his teacher wife Mabel as the best example of a successful couple partnership in running farming affairs on their 20-hectare piece of land in Ndeke Township, adding that his wife assumes the role of decision-maker whenever he away, to ensure continuity.

The Chilubas have been engaged in mixed farming the past three years, with a view to graduate into medium or commercial farming in future.

The couple is also involved in live-stock farming and own a piggery, poultry, ducks and guinea fowls.

Their crops include maize, cassava, soya beans and also have an orchard of a variety of fruits among them oranges , lemons, avocado and bananas.

To retain soil fertility, the couple uses manure as opposed to organic fertilisers and now plans to venture into conservation farming.

Together, the couple has sank five wells for sources of water for irrigation of seasonal crops and their animals.