Zambia Agribusiness Society

Amaranthus or Amaranth or Amaranths is one of the oldest warm climate leafy vegetable crops grown since centuries. At present, Amaranth is extensively grown as a green, leafy vegetable in many temperate and tropical regions in the world. When it comes to plant description, it is erect and spreading annuals with a rough appearance. Amaranth is grown for its green leaves and grains. Even these plants can be grown for ornamental purposes. Most of the Amaranthus species originated in India or Indo-China or South East Asia region and spread across the world. However, it is produced and used as a grain or leafy vegetable in India, Mexico, China, Southeast Asia Regions, the Andean highlands in South America and the United States. Farmers can safely bet on this crop cultivation as demand is very good in domestic markets for daily consumption. By following proper crop cultivation practices, one can get decent profits in Amaranth farming. To increase food security and reduce malnutrition in the

Amaranth can be used as a high-protein grain or as a leafy vegetable. The seeds are eaten as a cereal grain. They are ground into flour, popped like popcorn or cooked into porridge. The seeds can be germinated into nutritious sprouts. The leaves are cooked alone or combined with other local vegetables such as spider plant and pumpkins. The leaves are rich in calcium, iron and vitamins A, B and C, but fairly low in carbohydrates. There is no distinct separation between the vegetable and grain type since the leaves of young grain type plants can be eaten as greens. 1. Varieties Of all the indigenous tropical leafy vegetables, amaranth has the largest number of species and varieties. The choice of variety varies widely among regions and is dictated largely by the species available. Regardless of species, the choice of variety is influenced by individual preference for leaf colour and taste. Some of the most common commercial amaranths are selections of A. tricolour which come in var