Feed concertrates value chain and prospects for Sorghum utilization in Zambia
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Date
2012
Authors
Makeche, Sombo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zambia
Abstract
Zambia, like most developing countries has a lot of people with low incomes and hence
faces a critical need to find ways of improving these incomes in order to promote equity
as well as national development. This could be done through the utilization of household
crops such as sorghum in industry. One of such industries is the feed concentrate
industry. Therefore, understanding the feed concentrate value chain and prospects for
sorghum utilization is a central concern. The Zambian feed concentrate industry has been
dependent on maize as the main grain in the feed. Recently, there has been an increase in
the demand for feed as the livestock numbers in the country have been increasing. There
is therefore need to promote the use of other grains such as sorghum. The result would be
an improvement in smallholder farmers' productivity and ultimately an increase in their
incomes as the sorghum they would produce would be demanded by the feed concentrate
industry.
A study was carried out in Lusaka district, aimed at understanding the feed concentrates
value chain and prospects for sorghum utilization in Zambia. The main objective of the
study was to understand new market opportunities and value chain constraints for
sorghum in the Zambian feed concentrate industry.The structured questionnaire was the
primary instrument used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were generated using
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Parameters hypothesized to help
understand the feed concentrates value chain and prospects for sorghum utilization were
hypothesized using Porters Model.
The key players of the feed concentrate value were identified to be maize farmers, small
scale traders, commodity broker, feed manufacturers, distributors, retailers and livestock
keepers. The opportunities for sorghum were found to exist. There was willingness to
substitute sorghum for maize and the majority of the feed buyers interested in knowing
the nutrient content suggested the use of sorghum in feed. The constraints were the lack
of knowledge on the sorghum nutrient content by the key players and the feed
manufacturers not being assured of a steady supply of sorghum to be used in feed
production.
In view of the findings it is recommended that feed manufacturers and sorghum farmers
work together thorough contract farming so as to ensure that feed manufacturers have
adequate supply of sorghum and farmers have a ready market. A n increase in the number
of sorghum buyers would also encourage sorghum production among smallholder
farmers. Furthermore, a proven formula should be created to provide knowledge on the
nutrient content of sorghum and the nutrients it would provide for the livestock.
Description
Student Project Report
Keywords
Sorghum-Utilization , Sorghum-Zambia , Sorghum-Economic aspects-Zambia