Health depends largely on good nutrition and wholesome, healthy food is what the farmer supplies to feed his family and the nation. In this noble task, farmers can depend on HarvestPlus for wholesome, healthy, nutritious products.

At the Agritech Expo this year, HarvestPlus presents four extraordinary crops that are filled with the goodness of vitamins and minerals. Seed will be available at the stand. Some products made from these NEW nutritious crops will be available to tease your taste buds and wet your appetite. This is one pavilion not to be missed!

Orange maize will deliver at least 30% of your daily vitamin A requirements. In addition to vitamin A, orange maize is filled with many other nutritious compounds. It is tested and proven to benefit the body. A majority of consumers testify that orange maize tastes better than white maize. Consistent consumption of vitamin A rich foods is proven to maintain a good eye sight, improve the immune system and maintain a healthy skin.

Zambia now has six different varieties of vitamin A orange maize, achieving comparable yields to similar white varieties. Seed companies supplying seed include Zamseed (GV664A0), Kamano Seed (GV662A), AfriSeed (GV672A), and SeedCo (GV665A).

The market for orange maize is ever expanding with more than ten milling companies and five food processing companies lining up to buy the grain.

The following buyers are prepared and ready to buy orange maize from farmers:

Shais Food: 096-969-0656

Sylva Catering: 097-970-7944

Star Milling in Lusaka: 097-436-1494

Mushe Milling in Lusaka: 097-304-7700

Choma Milling in Choma:  097-782-6356

Chimsoro Milling in Kapiri: 096-699-4444

FVG Milling in Kabwe: 097-727-3260

Butemwe Milling in Solwezi: 097-473-1805

Fanyate Milling in Lusaka: 097-785-2583

Musanza Milling in Livingstone: 097-207-7543

HarvestPlus is distributes orange maize in many African countries including Zimbabwe, Malawi and Nigeria.

Beans play an important role as a source of protein and micronutrients which are essential, especially for children and pregnant women. In Zambia, HarvestPlus works with the National Bean Programme and the Pan African Bean Research Alliance to promote a high iron and zinc bean variety named Mbereshi. This bean variety delivers high yields and is tolerant to bean diseases in the country. Being early maturing (80 to 85 days), Mbereshi beans can be grown twice a year by utilising residual moistures in dambos and river banks, which are abundant and suitable for bean production in Zambia. The variety has been widely accepted by farmers and consumers in the country and the Southern Africa region.

Beans provide iron and zinc, and tests have been conducted which show that this beans increase haemoglobin and total body iron when consumed consistently. The zinc in the beans will assist in maintaining good immunity and protect consumers from acute diarrhoea.

In addition to Zambia, HarvestPlus also distributes high iron beans in Rwanda and Uganda.Cassava is the second most important staple food in Zambia. HarvestPlus wishes to offer consumers a more nutritious cassava crop. Since cassava contains vitamin A, it has a yellow colour, just like all other vitamin A rich crops. Scientists maintain that this cassava has a good taste, provides high yields and matures early. This crop can be viewed at the HarvestPlus Pavilion at Agritech.

HarvestPlus is working in Kinshasa and Nigeria to provide yellow cassava. Since yellow cassava is filled with vitamin A, the crop will provide similar health benefits to orange maize. Energy rich sweet potatoes are an important crop in Zambia. Only 100 g (½ cup) supply the daily vitamin A needs of a young child – the group most at risk to suffer a vitamin A deficiency. Moreover, it is a good source of vitamins C, E, K, and several B vitamins.

Research studies have shown that using orange sweet potato can reduce vitamin A deficiency. Compared to many other crops, sweet potato requires few inputs and relatively less labour. This makes it particularly suitable for many farming households. Factors driving adoption of orange sweet potato include its relatively good yields under marginal conditions, its flexible planting and harvesting times that provide roots and leaves during hungry seasons, and its good yield response to improved management.

A family of five needs less than half a lima (400 to 500 m²) of land to grow enough orange sweet potato to meet their annual vitamin A needs. It is not difficult to see that orange sweet potato is a commercially viable crop, which has broken into the retail markets of chain stores such as Pick and Pay in Zambia.

In addition to Zambia, HarvestPlus also promotes production and consumption of orange sweet potatoes in Uganda.

For more information, e-mail Eliab Simpungwe at E.Simpungwe@CGIAR.ORG to find out more about this magnificent crop seed varieties.