Zambia Agribusiness Society

Soya beans is currently one of the most grown crop in Zambia. This is attributable to the high market prices of the crop over the years. Recently, these prices have dropped, however farmers have continued to grow soya beans due to its likelihood to yield a good return as compared to maize. Soya beans is an immaculate source of protein with uses ranging from feed formulation for livestock to human consumption. The variety of products is mind blowing. We have soya chunks, oil, soy milk and soy meal to mention a few. Disease and Insect Control in Soya Beans Soya bean diseases are not easily identifiable especially for first time farmers. It is therefore imperative to undertake at least one preventive spray within 45 to 50 days of planting. Prevention is better than cure, right? Some common diseases include Frogeye leaf spot, Bacterial blight, Brown stem rot, Downy mildew, Soybean rust and Septorial brown spot. Control can be done by spraying Maxgarde, a fungicide from Agricrop Ser...

If you are planning to grow tomatoes on a commercial scale (i.e. 20,000 plants per hectare), here are some tips to consider: 1. Conduct market research: Before starting a commercial tomato production operation, research the local market to identify potential customers, suppliers, and competitors. Consider factors such as demand, pricing, distribution channels, and regulations. 2. Develop a business plan: Create a business plan that outlines your production goals, budget, marketing strategy, and risk management plan. Include details such as crop selection, land use, labour requirements, equipment needs, and financial projections. 3. Choose a suitable site: Select a site that meets the requirements for tomato production, such as soil type, climate, water availability, and access to transportation and markets. Consider factors such as land cost, zoning, and environmental regulations. 3. Plan your crop rotation: Tomatoes are susceptible to soil-borne diseases, so it is ess...

Are you interested in starting an animal farming business? Do you want to know the best livestock farming business ideas and opportunities for 2023? Then read on because this article is for you. Livestock farming or animal husbandry is simply the process of breeding animals for consumption purposes. But in this article, we will be looking at the profit or business side of livestock farming. It is a known fact that as long as humans exist, there will always be need for food and the two major sources of food for mankind are crops and animals. Now livestock farming is one of the most profitable businesses in the agriculture or agro-allied industry. But most people shy away from this business because it is capital and labour intensive. However, if you are interested in rearing animals for profits, then below are some livestock you can breed and make money from their sales. 1. Cattle farming Cattle farming is a business that appeals to people who the needed vacant land and resources...

General Production Requirements ·          Sweet potato is very sensitive to frost and cold. It requires hot days and warm nights for optimum growth, with mean monthly temperatures of 21°C to 29°C. ·          Popular varieties are Lukulu, Mulungushi, Kalungwishi, Lwangwa, Lunga, Kafue and Chingovwa. ·          Sweet potato requires 4 to 6 months to produce economic yields. ·          A well-managed sweet potato crop should yield 5 to 7.5 tons per Lima (20 to 39 tons/ha). Land Preparation/Soil Type ·          Deep, loose well drained loamy soils (does poorly on clay soils) with a pH range from 5.5 to 6.5 are ideal for sweet potato. ·          Effective rooting depth is 60cm. Deep plough field and harrow to a 60cm fine tilth seedbed. · ...

General Requirements Rape does well in warm seasons of the year. Optimum temperatures for growing are 20ºC to 25ºC, with minimum temperatures of 18ºC and maximum 30ºC. Popular Rape varieties are English Giant, Prior Rape and Hobson. A well-managed Rape crop should yield 5 tons per Lima with a leaf cutting period of 40 to 50 days. First leaves can be harvested 21 days after transplanting. Land Preparation/Soil Type Deep well-drained loamy soils with a pH range from 5.5 to 6.5 is ideal for Rape. Effective rooting depth is 60cm. Plough and disc to a 60cm fine tilth seedbed. Avoid planting rape on land previously planted on other brassicas for at least one season. Planting and Transplanting Sow directly by drilling in the farrows 1 to 2cm deep or raise seedlings in nursery beds and transplant 4 to 5 weeks later. Transplant during the cool part of the day (early morning or late afternoon) to avoid wilting of the plants. Space the plants at 20cm between plants and 60cm...

In any business deal, rest assured that there will be winners and losers. The losers will always be those who blink during negotiations; those who fail to adequately prepare and squarely look into the eyes of those they negotiate with. Zambia has always lost out on many deals: we sold Chingola Mine for $25 million. The new owners recouped the $25 million merely by selling mine scrap. Within a year the new owner realised $600 million: He had all the tax holidays in place. It’s strongly rumoured that that’s the business which catapulted him into the billionaire’s league. The sole loser was Zambia because those tasked to negotiate were ignorant or were compromised to play dumb; at a fee of course! This deal smacked corruption! The hallmark of most of Zambian negotiators is to personally gain at whatever cost! They don’t care a hoot about the well-being and interest of the country. Even under the so-called Patriotic Front government, negotiators were not patriotic to the country but to...

Drug discovery and design is a complex process that requires collaboration between various fields, including chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and more. Within this pipeline, biochemists play a critical role in understanding the biochemical mechanisms that underlie diseases and drug targets, designing and optimising drug candidates, and ensuring their safety and efficacy. Starting at the earliest stage of drug discovery, biochemists work to identify and validate potential drug targets by studying the structure and function of proteins, enzymes, and other biological molecules. They may use a variety of techniques; including X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, to determine the 3D structure of these molecules and understand how they interact with other proteins or ligands in the body. Once a drug target has been identified, biochemists help design and optimise drug candidates that can selectively bind to and modulate the activity of the target molecule. T...