ZNFU urge farmers to grow soya beans

ZNFU urge farmers to grow soya beans

Kasempa, May 3, ZANIS —– Small scale farmers have been urged to diversify into growing soya beans which is proving to be more profitable and has increased market availability to about four hundred thousand metric tonnes per annum.

Zambia National Farmers Union Senior Agri-Business Manager Mwaka Kayula says the demand for soya beans in the country has increased because many companies have come on board to make products out of soya beans.

Mr Kayula disclosed to ZANIS in an interview that the union has ready market for soya beans hence farmers are encouraged to diversify into soya beans as it is a good source of income.

“Farmers need to take up soya beans because the crashing capacity for soya beans has increased which makes the crop to cost double as compared to maize” he said.

And in a related development, ZNFU has increased the Lima Credit Scheme from 5 to 10 hectors owing to the overwhelming responses from farmers who had accesses to scheme last year.

Speaking during a meeting held to review the objectives of the Lima Credit Scheme, Mr Kayula implored on the 207 farmers in Kasempa who participated in the scheme and urged them to cultivate a culture of saving.

Mr Kayuala said for the past four years, the scheme has increased its participation from four thousand to over ten thousand farmers and hence the need for the union to increase the number of hectors.

He further announced that the union has this year introduced the Asset Finance which is intended to add value to the agriculture business by providing farmers with farming equipments such as hammer mills, food dryers and irrigation pumps.

He noted that the Asset Finance would be demand driven by farmers adding that the loan would be a two year repayment process.