The Challenge Fund Our Progress

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Good Nature Agro is one of the companies supported by the European Union’s (EU) ENTERPRISE Zambia Challenge Fund project.  Good Nature Agro focuses on producing legumes (soybeans, groundnuts beans and cowpeas), including high quality seed, for local and export markets.

Chiparamba livestock group comprises of smallholder farmers who are working with European Union grant recipient ASBA Resources on the importance of good herd management and grazing practices.

European Union grant recipient Afriseed Limited is increasing the number of smallholder seed producers by establishing rural bulking centres and rural mobile shops in order to improve the capacity of smallholder seed producers.

Based in Chipata, Nokamu operates agri-input sales outlets in eight districts of Eastern Province. These outlets sell a range of seed, feed, fertilisers and chemicals.  The company has been working with smallholder farmers, running a sunflower out grower scheme by providing inputs and extension support to smallholder farmers.

Continental Ginnery Limited (CGL) a member of the Parrogate Group, is an agricultural company involved in cotton aggregation and processing. CGL is working with smallholder farmers of Masumba area, Eastern Province to provide training on the importance of crop diversification and buying good quality seed that result in high yields.

Smallholder farmers in Zambia remain isolated and without viable market options despite rapidly growing global demand for quality legumes. Despite having over 60% of the population involved in farming, some reasons for this disconnect is that Zambia’s smallholder farmers have been growing wrong varieties for formal markets, each crop has key traits that buyers want depending on their end use.