Improve vegetable production Zambia
Selection of the best varieties of tomatoes and training of farmers.
Goal
-Testing of 4 varieties of tomatoes
- Continuation with the best motivated 12 farmers with a 20 x 20 m test field on their own property.
- Training of 12 farmers in the best cultivation methods (including fertilization and disease control)
- Testing during 2 dry and 2 wet seasons
- The results will be: best varieties and a manual guide that can be used to train other farmers
Partner
Jacana
Local partner
Jacana Zambia team led by Dinie Nijssen & Rik Haanen
Local supplier and advisor: Duncan Tembo
Locatie
Chipata in East Zambia
Updates
Juni 2025: Update Vegetable production Zambia
The project started in May 2024. After the first year, it appeared that the original goal of the project to test four varieties for four crops was too ambitious. There were several difficulties e.g. loss of seeds, loss of crop due to rain (tomatoes) or drought (okra, cabbage), early harvest, anomalous plant density and loss of data. The farmers and Jacana learned a lot, but too few results were achieved to continue with the original design.
The result of an evaluation with the farmers is a modified project design. The most motivated farmers will receive cultivation guidance during the testing of four varieties of tomatoes.
November 2024: New project in Zambia
Improve vegetable production i.s.m. Jacana Zambia:
Selecting the best varieties of new vegetable crops and training farmers.
The project started in May 2024 and the project will run until May 2026.
After an orientation visit to the capital Lusaka, seeds of 4 new varieties of tomatoes, white cabbage, onions and okra from Stark Ayres (South Africa), Radseed (Zambia) and Syova (Tanzania) were received. The experimental design was created by Nathalie Oberson. It is suitable for statistical analysis with one control and two new varieties per farmer. Farmers were selected with support from Duncan Tembo, a local supplier. The farmers were trained under the direction of Chongo Phiri among others in sowing and transplanting on their own property.
