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(TIMES) Eastern Farmers clinch Dutch groundnuts deal

Eastern Farmers clinch Dutch groundnuts deal
By Gilbert Kaimana

A DUTCH import company, Tradin Organic, will start buying organically grown groundnuts from small scale organic farm producer cooperatives in Petauke. Tradin Organic has agreed in principal to buy groundnuts from the organic producers under a deal arranged with the assistance of the Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ).

In an interview in Lusaka, OPPAZ chief executive officer, Mushimbwe Chitalu said the Dutch company initially wanted to buy 5,000 tonnes of groundnuts but the Petauke based cooperatives could not meet the quantities required.

Tigwilizane Cooperative of Petauke was only able to produce 100 tonnes of the organic groundnuts.
Mr Chitalu said the association was working with the farmers to help them organise themselves in order to produce more quantities.

The Dutch firm would be offering other services to the cooperatives it would be working with in Eastern Province to enable them increase production output of the organically-grown groundnuts.
Tradin Organic would be working in partnership with OPPAZ to introduce extension services, trade financing and capacity building services for the farmers.

He said the farmers would have an advantage in dealing with Tradin Organic because the organisation was certified as a fair trade organisation.
OPPAZ helps in, among other things, linking organic producers and processors to markets and financing.

“Small scale farmers rarely have markets for their crops, so we help develop market linkages as well as financing for them,” he said.
The association promotes a variety of organically-produced crops in Northern, North-Western, Central and Copperbelt provinces.

Labels: CONTRACT FARMING, EASTERN PROVINCE, GROUNDNUTS, MUSHIMBWE CHITALU, OPPAZ

posted by MrK @ 4:08 AM