WomeninAgricultureTheZambianExperience

Maimouna S. Abass MSc. BSc.Senior Agricultural Researcherviczhane@gmail.com

Acknowledgements

Thewomenwhoallowedmetosharetheirstoriesinthispresentation.

Zambia

Zambia– Anagriculturaleconomy

Household livelihood & food security

20.4% GDP

Income & employment

AgriculturalExports-Zambia

NetAgriculturalExportValueinZambia:2011-2015(FAOSTAT)2016

• 2015Agriculturalexports:US$212million&employmentfor~142,000commercialfarmworkers

Quickfacts–AgricultureinZambia

85

LabourForce

Agriculture

Other

30

CropsGrown

Corn

Othercrops

Small-scalefarmers(0-5ha)• subsistenceproducersof

staplefoodswithoccasionalmarketablesurplus.

Medium-scalefarmers(5-0ha)• cornandafewothercash

cropsforthemarket.

Large-scalefarmers(>50ha)• variouscropsforthelocaland

exportmarkets.

Quickfacts–AgricultureinZambia

CropsCassava,wheat, groundnuts,cotton,tobacco,sorghum,coffee,rice,sugar.LivestockRuralareas- 80%ownatleastonechickengoats,cattleandpigs.

Crops&Livestock

WomeninAgricultureinZambia• Femaledominated-

smallandmediumscale

• SmallandMediumscalecombined-75%ofZambianfarmers

64

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

Women Men

%Women&MeninAgricultureinZambia- 2013

VIDEO- TamaraKaundamedicaldoctorturnedfarmer!

– InDepthNews- YoungPeopleinAgriculturebyMasausoMkwayaya

WomeninAgriculture- Zambia

ZambianSmallScaleFarmerEnelless MwansaChinsaliCorn– ½haIntercroppedwithbeansandpumpkin.Opportunities – foodreservedepotsiteChallenges– under$1/day,distancefrommarket,delaysinpaymentfrombuyers.

ZambianSmallScaleFarmerMercyMasulaniCorn– 2haOpportunities- nearfoodreservedepot- Farmertraining- FertilizerInput

SupportProgramChallenges- Under$1.5aday,manydependants

- Pests(fallarmyworm)

- Increasedproductioncosts.

RemarkableMediumScalefarmer

Christine M.NgomaChimoka FarmLusaka West20 AcresTomato – ½ haCorn – 3 ha16000 Chickens –20 ha

MrsNgoma’s Opportunities

• Outgrower-Syngentatomato

• Producerofchickensforhybrid

• Participationintrainings/Trainingfellowfarmers

• EnhancedMarketAccess

MrsNgoma’s Challenges• Productioncosts– pest

incursions– TomatoLeafMiner/Fallarmyworm

• MechanisedEquipment

• LimitedLand

• Highinputcosts

“Onceortwiceinalifetimeonewillneedalawyer,adoctor,ateacher,butyouneedafarmerthreetimesaday”–MrsNgoma

UpcomingLargeScaleFarmer

BrendaMLubingoLubingo FarmZimba110AcresVegetables– 5ha(carrots,greenbeans,tomatoes,cucumberAnimals– 60ha– 51Cattle,GoatandSheep.

Brenda’sOpportunities• MarketAccess

– SurroundingLodgesandmarket

– Zambeef – largestlocalbeefanddairysupplierandproduceronZambianmarket.

• Trainings• Accesstoupdated

technologyandinformationonagriculture

Brenda’sChallenges• Limited funds for

expansion,• Theft• unpredictable weather

pattern affects crop production.

• Fluctuating market prices

“Agricultureisnotawayoflife,it’sabusiness,itsempowering”Brenda

LargeScaleCommercialfarms

GeneralChallenges• Lowincome≤$15,000annual

incomeduetohighunemploymentrates– 13.3%(2014)– Leaveslittleresourcestoinvestin

agriculture.

• Increaseinpestincursions

GeneralChallenges• Marketaccessissues

– Limitedenforcementofpoliciespromotinglocalproducts.

– “Complacency”inmeetingquality&SPSstandards– seenasacostandnotaninvestment

SkillsGenerationsoffarming(InformalTraining)

– Horticulture– Livestockfarming

FormalTraininginagriculture– Certificate,Diploma,BSc,

MSc,PhD– Horticulture,Livestock

farming

Opportunities– PublicandPrivateSector• Government support- throughMinistryofAgriculture– Prioritysectorfor

government• ZambiaAgriculturalResearchInstitute- shapingZambianagriculture

throughresearchprograms-newvarieties,pestmanagementstrategies• PQPS servicestopreventintroductionandspreadofplantpestsand

facilitatelocalandinternationalagrotrade.• Easeofdoingagribusiness -2017,2016,2015.RegistrationofBusinesses

– Eco-friendlyagro-servicecompany– SuppliesIPMProductstosmallscalefarmers– Providesmarketaccessforsmallscalefarmerstolocalmarkets

Opportunities• Community groups & cooperatives• Increased gender based studies have

brought to light struggles faced by femalefarmers – “gender advantage”

Opportunities• Researchprojectfunds- womentargetedprojects/programmes/businesses

– http://www.znfu.org.zm/women_farmers_forum

• Financialinstitutions- favouringwomeninagriculture

Opportunities• Socialmedia–

marketingandinformationsharing

• Shorttrainings&informationthroughgovernmentandprivateprogrammes

Conclusions• Zambian women in agriculture face manychallenges

• Zambia is seeing more women get intoagriculture entrepreneurship

• Increased training and funding will result inZambian women redefining Zambian Agriculture

AgriculturalResearchCareer- Itcanbefun!J

VisitZambia– TheRealAfrica!