Cassava farmers in Mansa embark on seed multiplication to meet demand
By Gift Chanda, Communications Officer
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| Photo: Peter Mushanshiko harvesting his cassava cuttings/ Gift Chanda |
The increasing demand for improved cassava varieties in Mansa district of Luapula Province, is creating an income opportunity for farmers who are establishing themselves as seed multipliers and suppliers.
The stable market provided by GrowAfrica, a company that buys cassava on behalf of Zambian Breweries, is credited for the shift in attitude by farmers who previously grew the crop for home consumption but are now turning it into a commercial crop.
Peter Mushanshiko, 56, is one of those exploiting the unmet demand by farmers for improved cassava planting materials.
In 2016, he grew the improved Mweru variety and has started harvesting the stems to make cuttings for sale at a profit. From the 2ha field, Mushanshiko managed to harvest 120 bags of cassava cuttings in 2017 and sold each of them at K20.
“This was the first time I sold cuttings and earned such a high amount of K2,400. I’m excited and I plan
to expand my field as the demand for cuttings continues to rise among fellow farmers who are convinced that the variety is of high quality,” he explained.
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| Photo: Peter Mushanshiko (right) gets advice from GroAfrica extension officer / Gift Chanda |
According to Mushanshiko, the improved variety matures early between 12 to 18 months compared to the traditional variety that took three years before famers could begin to harvest and sell the crop.
In September 2016, Musika supported GroAfrica Limited and Zambian Breweries to provide a reliable market for the crop, coupled with the provision of extension service support, aimed at improving household incomes for smallholder cassava growers.
As a result of Musika’s logistical and technical support, GroAfrica has established a network of 26 aggregation centres around four districts in Luapula Province.
The company is working with over 4,500 farmers, 33 per cent of whom are female, and purchased 1,900 tonnes of cassava during the third quarter of 2017 compared to 800 tonnes bought in 2015/16 season.
Zambian Breweries uses the cassava in the production of its affordable Eagle Lager beer, a move that has provided a reliable market for the crop.