| Project Detail |
Zambia has huge potential for upgrading and scaling up its production of soybean: favourable agroclimatic conditions for increased cultivation, the labour-intensive nature of the subsector, the willingness of the oil seed crushers to work at full capacity, and the high local and international demand. Despite this potential however, the soybean sector remains underdeveloped. Important constraints are: very low yields and poor quality of seeds. Weak linkages among the chain’s actors, both horizontal and vertical, unstable access to international markets due to regular export bans, poor business development services, and inadequate storages, trading infrastructure and processing facilities constitute other major obstacles. Access to finance, for long-term investment or short-term working capital, remains another major challenge across the soybean value chain, particularly for MSMEs. Under the joint UNIDO and FAO Agrifood Systems Transformation Accelerator (ASTA), the present project will upgrade the soybean value chain in Zambia. |
