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Fruits VC Profile Brief

The document provides an overview of Zambia's fruit value chain, noting that while the country has potential for fruit production, it remains a net importer due to issues like low yields, lack of processing industries, and competition from imports. It discusses production areas and challenges like poor access to quality saplings and inputs, as well as market trends and high post-harvest losses limiting development.

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Paul Chipopap
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21 views2 pages

Fruits VC Profile Brief

The document provides an overview of Zambia's fruit value chain, noting that while the country has potential for fruit production, it remains a net importer due to issues like low yields, lack of processing industries, and competition from imports. It discusses production areas and challenges like poor access to quality saplings and inputs, as well as market trends and high post-harvest losses limiting development.

Uploaded by

Paul Chipopap
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PROFILE BRIEF: FRUIT

OVERVIEW
Despite having the agroecological potential for self-sufficiency, Zambia remains a net importer of fruit. Lack
of development of fruit processing industries, low levels of value addition and high post-harvest losses have
been major factors halting the development of the VC, in addition to competition from neighboring South
Africa and Zimbabwe. With that said, demand for fruit and fruit-based products continues to grow in Zambia,
while the availability of affordable produce could play an important role in helping Zambians achieve positive
health and nutritional outcomes.

PRODUCTION
 The fruit VC is characterized by the participation of both large, commercial farmers as well as smallholders,
although the majority of smallholders treat fruit production as a secondary activity to annual crops 1.
 Mangoes are produced in Eastern and Western Provinces, pineapples in North-western, citrus and guavas are
produced small-scale nationwide, while bananas are grown wherever there is sufficient access to water 2.
 Yields are typically low as compared to agroecological potential; average yields in smallholder banana pro-
duction report at 12MT/ha3, roughly a quarter of the production levels achieved on commercial farms 4.
 Poor access to quality fruit tree saplings (notably in citrus) limit smallholder productivity gains.

MARKET TRENDS AND TRADE


 Zambia imports over USD 2.3 Million worth of citrus fruit and USD 400,000 worth of bananas as of 20195.
 Zambia has found in the DRC a small but growing export market for citrus fruit, mainly oranges 6
 Prices vary significantly depending on the crop and time of year, except for bananas which maintain a stead-
ier price regardless of the season.

PRINCIPAL CHALLENGES
 Local citrus producers struggle to compete with cheaper South African and Zimbabwean imports. 7
 While the fresh fruit sector is gowing, it’s development is hampered by unregulated, non-transparent and
uncompetitive informal open-air markets.8
 Supply inconsistencies are high; unpredictability in quality as well as volume creates high price volatility. 9
 Lack of irrigation and inadequate access to finance and insurance are serious constraints at the producer level
and as well as the processor levels.10
 The banana seedling market is largely dominated by one firm (Amiran) which provide tissue-cultured plants
at a price that is prohibitive to smallholders; most smallholders propagate by suckers. 11
1
Adrian Phiri, 199.
2
Adrian Phiri, “Post-harvest Losses of Fruit and Vegetables in Zambia”, 2010 AARDO Workshop on Technology on Reducing Post-
Harvest Losses and Maintaining Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, 197-204, 198.
3
Adrian Phiri, 200.
4
“Banana Facts and Figures”, FAO Economic and Social Development Stream website accessed August 24 th, 2020,
http://www.fao.org/economic/est/est-commodities/bananas/bananafacts/en/#.X0Qu0-i6M2w
5
International Trade Centre (ITC), Trade Map, website accessed August 28th, 2020, https://www.trademap.org
6
International Trade Centre (ITC), Trade Map, website accessed August 28th, 2020, https://www.trademap.org
7
“Revitalizing Zambia Citrus Production”, Solidaridad website accessed August 20th, 2020,
https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/solidaridad-stories/revitalizing-zambia-citrus-production
8
Coillard Hamusimbi and Jaco Oosthuizen, “Zambia: A New Gateway for Fresh Produce Trade Into Africa”, PMA website accessed
August 21st, 2020, https://www.pma.com/content/articles/2018/09/zambia
9
Coillard Hamusimbi and Jaco Oosthuizen
10
Agri Pro Focus, “Horticulture Sub-sector Study Report 2015: Mapping investment opportunties in the horticulture sub-sector: the
case of vegetable value chains in Zambia” Lusaka Agri Pro Focus, 2015, p
11
Cornelius Dube “The Implications of the Market Structure and Nature of Competition in the Zambia Agriculture Sector A Case
Study of Soya Beans and Banana Agro-Processing Value Chains“, CUTS International, 2016, p.35.
 Enormous post-harvest losses, sometimes up to 30%, limit development of the value chain; limited cold
chain facilities and a chaotic marketing system hamper availability of quality produce and destabilize prices. 12
 Notable barriers to the cultivation of fruit trees at the producer level include: untethered cattle damaging
saplings, termite attacks, lack of water for irrigation, inadequate knowledge of propagation and crop manage-
ment, and the limited availability of quality saplings.13
 Little tangible policy focused on developing the VC; the Second National Agricultural Policy (SNAP) does
not emphasize development of the fruit sector, nor does the National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP)
2014–2018, which instead prioritizes field crops, livestock and aquaculture. 14

INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT GENERATION POTENTIAL


 The GRZ in the 7th National Development Plan (7NDP) discuss the importance of reviving the fruit process-
ing industry to accelerate job creation; the Zambian Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is starting to
invest in the sector through financing of processing plants.15
 Opportunities could exist for women and youth employment in the processing of fruit to juices and concen-
trates and the drying or dehydration of fruits.
 Eastern Tropical Fruits company (PPP) expected to become operational in 2020 and start value-addition of
locally produced fruit, employing 200 workers and sourcing from 8,000 producers.16
 Large strides remain to be made to improve efficiencies in post-harvest activities: this could lead to the cre-
ation of jobs not just in processing, but also in cold-storage, packing, transportation, and marketing.
 Zambia boasts a wide array of indigenous species such as the sugar plum (masuku), Anisophyllea boehmii
(mufungu), Parinari curatellifolia (Mbola plum), Vangueriopsis lanciflora (nsumo) and Diospyros kirkii
(muchenje) which grow in the wild and could provide raw materials for the production of juices, wines and
jams.17
 Women and youth are largely responsible for the collection and marketing of indigenous fruits. 18
 With poor access to fruit tree saplings, employment opportunities could be created in nursery development,
grafting services, developing the capacity of youth and women to engage with producers as extension service
providers and/or input salespeople.

CLIMATE RISK

 Most fruit trees have deeper rooting systems than annual crops and are better able to withstand dry spells;
bananas are an exception however and would be more vulnerable to drought conditions.
 Indigenous fruit varieties are well adapted to the local climate and demonstrate a higher capacity to adapt to
climate variability than exotic varieties.

12
Coillard Hamusimbi and Jaco Oosthuizen
13
Marjolein Mwanamwenge and Seth Cook, “Beyond maize: Exploring agricultural diversification in Zambia from different perspec-
tive”, IEED & HIVOS discussion paper 2019, p.21
14
Mwanamwenge and Cook p.11.
15
Mwanamwenge and Cook, p.10.
16
Mwila Nsofu, “Eastern Tropical Fruit Plant Nears Completion”, ZNBC website accessed August 21st, 2020,
https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/eastern-tropical-fruit-plant-nears-completion/
17
F.K. Kalaba, P.W. Chirwa, H. Prozesky and C. Ham, “The Role of Indigenous Fruit Trees in Rural Livelihoods: the Case of Commu-
nities in the Mwekera Area, Copperbelt Province, Zambia”, Acta horticulturae, DOI:10.17660, January 2009, p.129.
18
F.K. Kalaba, P.W. Chirwa, H. Prozesky and C. Ham, p131.

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