Women Empowerment - Climate Smart Agriculture - Aflatoxin Mitigation

GROW WITH FARMERS' OUTGROWER FOUNDATION LTD

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A Distinct Identity

Who We Are

Farmers’ Outgrower Foundation Ltd (FOF) is a community enterprise based in the Eastern Province of Zambia whose headquarters are in Chipata.

FOF works with over 1500 smallholder farmers in Chipata, Petauke, Katete, Chipangali and Kasenengwa districts of eastern province of Zambia.

FOF aims at improving the livelihoods of the rural smallholder farmers by providing:

farmer training
high quality and high yielding seed
market linkages
small loans
increased income

The Farmers’ Outgrower Foundation Ltd (FOF) gives small scale farmers in Eastern Province of Zambia an opportunity to become self-reliant, successful businesses.

FOF takes an innovative approach to the value chain. FOF creates scale and efficiencies by linking thousands of small scale farmers to large and valuable markets. The markets include local and regional. Using short value chains, FOF offers valuable income returns to not only create a step change in livelihood and well-being for small scale farmers, but also to sustain and grow investment in farm productivity and efficiency.

The farmers benefit by taking their families out of poverty.

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What we Grow

GROUNDNUTS

Groundnuts are a good source of food nutrient both to humans and soil. Their high energy value; their protein, vitamin and mineral content; their cholesterol free and low salt status – all combine to give groundnuts an A+ in nutrition. They are an excellent cash crop and can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted.

Groundnuts are a good substitute for milk and helps to reduce malnutrition in children below 5 years.

We grow a number of varieties. These are available both as seed and as grain (edibles)

MGV 4

This is a Virginia bunch variety. It was first released in Zambia at Msekera Research Station in Chipata. It is known as CG-7 in Malawi and Serenut IR in Uganda. MGV-4 is currently the only variety that shows high kernel yield potential in all three agro-ecological regions around Chipata. It matures in 120 day-140 days and is easy to harvest because of its bunch growth habits. The kernels are red, uniform, and medium in size, contains 48-50% oil and has an Oleo/Linolinic (O/L) ratio of 1.5 indicating a good shelf life.

MGV 5

MGV-5 is a recently-released Virginia runner type variety which has large attractive tan-coloured kernels that are an excellent, high-yielding substitute for Chalimbana, Africa’s best known variety. It is particularly suitable for confectionery with a 48% oil content, an O/L ratio of 1.5

5 and roasts evenly-softer texture. It is well adapted for production in the plateau regions of Zambia, maturing in 120 days, and has a kernel yield of about 2.0 t/ha with smallholder farmers.

MGV 7

Has 4 primary branches with several secondary branches
Has pod constriction
Pod reticulation
High yielding (2500 kg/ha)
Big seeds and soft when eating
Bunch growth habit
Rosette resistant

MGV 8

Does well in medium to high altitudes
Resistant to rosette and ELS tolerant
The color is tan and takes between 120 and 130 days to mature
Medium seed size.
Erect and main stem is longer than primary branches

Wamusanga

Wide-elliptic leaf shape
Main stem shorter than primary branches
Has between 4-7 primary branches
Moderate pod constriction
Milky taste
Extra early maturing (80-90 days)
Drought tolerant

Lupande

Grows well in low altitudes but can also do well in higher altitudes by delaying planting
small in size- smaller than Wamsanga
Matures within 90 -100 days
it is a Spanish type
has light green leaf colour

Chishango

This is also a Virginia bunch variety that grows well in the eastern parts of Zambia and matures in 120 days. It has kernels that are tan pink, uniform, medium in size, contains 47% oil and has an O/L ratio of 1.5. It has a kernel yield of 2.0 t/ha and is suitable for the confectionery market. This variety is slightly smaller than MGV5 and is highly resistant to rosette

We have a program to introduce other legumes like pigeon peas and navy beans for both local market and exports.

SOY BEANS

Like groundnuts, Soya beans is a legume.

The main variety of soya beans that we produce is KAFUE

Kafue variety of soya beans is a middle to late maturing variety and it has a vigorous seedling establishment.
Kafue has a high fodder yield (crop residue after threshing). This is as a result of high biomass production.
It is a self nodulating variety and as such it is important for maintaining soil health and good for crop rotation.
It is a variety that is tolerant and resistant to pod borer, thrips, common soya beans fly, purple seed stain, and pod sucking bug.

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FOF Mission Statement

FOF will ensure farmer groups produce and are provided with high quality diverse seed varieties which will increase harvest yields and output quality by providing best practice agriculture education to members. FOF will develop and foster stakeholder relationships which provide enhanced sales profits, access to multiple markets and improve the economic conditions of the farmers and their communities.

FOF Vision Statement

To be recognized as providing the highest quality of groundnut varieties, maximizing production and market access, fostering the economic independence of the small scale farmer, promoting agriculture as a viable economic and employment opportunity for current and future generations and reducing malnutrition in the Eastern province of Zambia.

Core Values

Honesty
Transparency
Competency
Good Partner Relations
Timeliness
Creativity
Innovative
Dependable
Effective Problem Solvers

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Our Farmers

We are working with more than 1,000 farmers and many more of their neighbours in the Chipata, Katete, and Vubwi district of the Eastern Province.
The farmers are organised in groups of 15 to 30. FOF develops an appropriate contract which describes the supply of seeds, training, other services and market linkages. Each group has a lead or contact farmer who provides a communication network throughout the FOF organisation.
75% of our farmers are women who are the major producers of groundnuts. The women determine how much of the available land will be used for cultivating groundnuts every farming season. They also determine how much will be reserved for home consumption and how much will be sold.
FOF looks forward to increased mechanisation and further improvement of local infrastructure.
For most areas, we are the only partner seen regularly through the year. At times, our visits will bring training and advice about different crops, other visits will be regular joint inspections of the fields with practical and expert help, while later in the season we provide information about markets, help with shelling and product selection and finally buying across the farm gate.

Women Empowerment

At Farmers Outgrower Foundation, we are dedicated to stepping up our efforts in addressing this issue. Food Donation Drop-Off is by no means an easy feat, but through cooperation and community empowerment we believe we can facilitate progress in this area. We are always striving to make a difference, and invite you to learn more and lend your support. 75% of our farmers are women who benefit from FOF through access to high quality seed, access to markets, training, small cash loans. This helps to increase household incomes and improve livelihoods.

Climate Smart Agriculture

In recent years Climate patterns have been changing more quickly than expected, with global warming and carbon emissions being the cause. As a developing country, Zambia is a low contributor to carbon emissions. Nevertheless, the effects of climate change are massive. 99% of Zambia relies on rain fed agriculture for food production and household food security.

The unpredictable rainfall patterns has had an adverse effect on smallholder farmers who produce 90% of Zambia’s food.

Due to high cost of electricity, the majority of Zambians rely on charcoal and firewood for fuel. This is causing serious deforestation. As such, FOF is encouraging farmers to practice climate smart agriculture through the following interventions:

FOF INTERVENTIONS

FOF acknowledges the challenges and dangers of climate change. As such, actions that promote the environment and sustainable farming technologies are encouraged and taught to our farmer groups and neighbouring farmers:

1. ENERGY INITIATIVES: Most of the rural smallholder farmers depend on wood for fuel. FOF encourages use of groundnut shells and maize cobs for cooking instead of dumping them. This helps to reduce deforestation.

2. DIVERSIFICATION: FOF depends on its field staff and lead farmers to provide services to the farmers. Lead farmers are volunteer extension staff that are fully trained in extension. Each lead farmer has under him/her 20 to 30 farmers. FOF through field staff and lead farmers encourage crop diversification for farmers to have steady flow of cash. The farmers will plant maize (staple food), sunflower for oil extraction, groundnuts for sale and home consumption.

3. CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE: FOF encourages farmers to practice minimum tillage, water harvesting, ridging and contouring, and maximum crop cover. Crop rotation is also encouraged. All these practices are aimed at conserving the soil and environment. Production and use of organic compost from crop and vegetable waste helps to bind the soil, reducing soil erosion, and reduces dependence on expensive inorganic fertiliser. Techniques are low-cost and low-input, making them both accessible and appropriate for small farmers. Groundnuts being a legume is highly recommended for crop rotation as it fixes nitrogen into the soil.

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