Vegetable juice way to sip

May 20, 2018

KELLY NJOMBO

Lusaka

AS ZAMBIA makes strides to achieve economic diversification, more needs to be done to establish an industrial segment that will enhance value addition by processing fruits and vegetables into various economic products.

Adding value to fruits and vegetable is important as it plays a critical role in contributing not only nutrition but also in creating jobs and economic diversification.

Undoubtedly, Zambia has vast fruits and vegetables that go to waste due to lack of established market linkages for the main producers coupled with unsolid manufacturing base.

This is despite the fresh produce being lucrative, farmers have not been venturing into the production of fruits and vegetables due to lack of market availability.

It is for this reason that Government, agricultural experts and research institutes have called for more farmers to grow fruits and vegetables not only for income generation but also nutritional purposes.

And one such company is, Greenway Farms Limited, a South African-based firm that has invested in processing plants to add value to the produce.

Some of the fruits and vegetables with the potential to lead the industrial segment in the fruit and vegetable sub-sectors are carrots, beetroot, mangoes, tomatoes and pineapples.

This has prompted Greenway Farms Limited chief executive officer Vito Rugani to urge Zambians to consider producing juice from vegetables to contribute to nutrition and economic diversification.

The firm specialises in vegetable juice extraction from carrots and beetroot, which has gained popularity by being the first-ever vegetable juice producer in the Southern hemisphere.

Mr Rugani explains that juice extracted from vegetables has proved to be an important product, not only for income generation but also nutritional purposes.

Scientifically, beetroot and carrots are the only alkaline-based produce that can fight cancer; therefore, consumers need to be educated about the importance of such vegetable juice – to save a live.

“I am aware of Zambia’s diversification agenda…It is unfortunate that consumers are ignorant about vegetable extracted juice.

“There is need to increase sensitisation on the healthy and economic benefits of vegetable juice,” Mr Rugani observes.

He believes that once ventured into, vegetable juice production will also create a readily market for the local farmers growing the commodity thereby, contributing to poverty reduction.

From this background, farmers need to embrace fruits and vegetables growing to make diversification a necessity. The sub-sector is being touted as an integral component of this process which the government is eagerly promoting.

A practical example of diversification in Zambia, is the one being undertaken by Community Markets for Conversations (COMACO), is working with over 200 farmers to grow mangoes for processing and packaging into dried products.

The agricultural organisation, which buys mangoes from farmers in Mambwe, Chipata and Katete, is empowering small-scale farmers to grow their businesses as well as contributing to bettering their livelihood.

COMACO knows that mangoes are potential cash crops that also need to be further exploited by farmers to increase income.

“We plan to expand collection points to Lundazi, Chama and Nyimba.

“COMACO now has over 200 farmers growing and selling mangos –We hope to triple this number in the coming season because of the high demand for the product. 

Mango is becoming a potentially-important source of income, especially for women farmers.

“Women are earning up to about K1,000 per season and yet the fruits would previously go to waste due to lack of market,” COMACO explained.

Another fruit making a contribution to the wellbeing of farmers is tomato, as observed by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which is persuading investors to consider investing into tomato processing plants in Zambia to promote value addition.

COMESA director industry and agriculture Thierry Kalonji underscores Zambia’s potential to grow and process tomatoes into paste and juice to supply the local and international markets, thereby earn foreign exchange.

Dr Kalonji, however, expresses concern that despite having all the necessary raw materials to produce tomato paste, it is unfortunate that Zambia still imports the products.

“To deal with tomato wastages, it is better to have a processing plant or to set up industries.

Most of the tomatoes produced in Zambia go to waste despite demand being sufficient, this is because the supply is too high and this has resulted to farmers losing income.

It calls for concerted efforts in developing the value chain by increasing production and ultimately, to develop a robust industrial fruit and vegetable industry.

Furthermore, Zambia needs to come up with viable solutions to enable small-scale farmers to venture into growing more fruits and vegetables to boost productivity.

Similarly, the National Union for Small Scale Farmers’ of Zambia (NUSFAZ) says agriculture is one of the sectors that can be a largest contributor to employment in the country.

NUSFAZ director general Frank Kayula says if more farmers go into cultivation of fruits and vegetables, poverty levels in the country can significantly reduce.

Dr Kayula also appealed to Government to have standards for fruits and vegetables to be in line with the Zambia Bureau of Standards requirements as one measure of helping to develop the sub-sectors. 

“There is need to help farmers with access to the market, capacity building and find ways on how to strengthen various districts capacity to increase production,” he said.

Cognisant of the benefits of industrialisation in the fruit and vegetable segment, the private sector also has a role to play through investing in processing industries to further exploit the industry.

On the other hand, private sector participation in key developmental programmes is vital in attracting foreign direct investment, job creation and poverty reduction.

Evidently, Zambia’s economic prosperity lies in all players directing their energies to value addition and industrialisation as Government continues showing its commitment by supporting creating a conducive environment that attracts investor confidence.

https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/vegetable-juice-way-to-sip/