In this article, we focus on the fungal infections every tomato producer should guard against. In wet weather it is advisable to place a handful of grass under any fruit that is in direct contact with the soil. Pruning tomato plants is not recommended as this usually results in a…
When David Samutela bought his 1 000 ha farm just south of Mkushi town in Zambia’s Central Province in 2006 he had no intention of farming. He had just retired from a corporate career at the Zambia’s national airline and bought the land as an investment. The advertisement in the…
Zambian smallholder farmers might soon have better access to high-quality, disease-free horticultural seedlings easier after a seed company - Syngenta - partnered with a powerful USAID-funded programme and a US consulting company, to build a sustainable distribution programme for hybrid seedlings. The programme will also aim to provide farmers with access to…
The tomato is a hugely popular crop with good demand from local markets. Because of its susceptibility to pests and diseases the tomato is considered to be a tricky crop and growers have to stay on their toes to keep their lands disease free and their plants healthy. Tomatoes can…
Let us focus on the diseases every tomato producer should guard against. Wet weather is always difficult for tomato plants so stop contact between fruit and soil by putting grass around the plant and under the fruit. Don’t be tempted to prune because it will reduce your yield and leave…
These recipes are a great way to preserve tomatoes which are a bit overripe. It will allow you to add a spicy tomato flavour to stews and other recipes calling for tomato flavour. The recipes were translated and adapted from Lekker vir later PLUS, written by Annette Human and published…
Zambian tomato farmers get the best price for their produce during the rainy season, from October to February, and they are currently doing a roaring trade. A dip-stick survey around Lusaka’s Soweto market, where 80% of the country’s tomato crop goes, indicates that prices have gone up to ZMW260 (US$26)…
One of farmer Rean de Waal's most useful patents is a device that allows him to simultaneously dispense 4 lines of steel wire and one drip irrigation pipe. This is to rig a vineyard trellis with irrigation pipes, of which there is not much in Zambia, Malawi or Zimbabwe, but…
British organisation, Russell IPM, recently announced its plan to help Zambians in their fight against Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner), during a recent awareness seminar about the pest-induced disease. According to Russell IPM, the company has developed solutions to deal with the pest at various stages of infestation. Leaf miner…
