 |
 |
Smallholder Coffee Project | |||||||||||
| ZATAC's Smallholder Coffee Project is
yet another pilot effort funded by USAID through ZATAC to help unlock
and add value to smallholder production in order to increase household
income and improve quality of life. The smallholder coffee project is
presently working with 30 farmers growing coffee on 0.25 Ha each. The
plan is to work with at least 55 farmers growing coffee on at least 1
hectare each. Agreements are already in place to link the smallholder
coffee producers with commercial agri-businesses and the Coffee Growers'
Asso. of Zambia to serve as ready markets when the coffee harvests come
in about 2 years. In the interim, ZATAC is assisting these same farmers
to bridge the income gap through inter-cropping coffee with cash crops
such as paprika, fresh vegetables for the domestic market and sun-hemp,
which provide a positive cash flow. USAID funds have supported technical
assistance, training and irrigation equipment purchase, without which
these smallholders would have had little chance to benefit from this growth
industry.
The coffee industry, particularly commercial coffee production in Zambia,
is on the rise given profitability and market demand. Zambian coffee
is recognized in the world market as a high quality mild Arabica and
as such has established market channels. It is ZATAC's intention to
help Zambia's smallholders be a part of this action by linking them
to already established coffee businesses so that such partnerships benefit
both smallholders and commercial enterprises through boosted production.
Estimated net income from coffee produced by smallholders is expected
to exceed $1,000 per hectare, which is at least 4 times greater than
income from traditional crops. |
|||||||||||||
| BACK TO TOP | |||||||||||||