Greenhouse

Vegetables Production

For the past 5 years, ASNAPP has been involved and led the development of production system that leads to high productivity and quality of fresh herbs and vegetables in Africa. ASNAPP adopts market first approach to identify the market needs of buyers and work backwards to provide the intervention required in the supply chain. The interventions that been provided by ASNAPP include:

a) Improvement in germplasm materials for selected vegetables and herbs. ASNAPP partners with over 10 seed companies in South Africa and Ghana, conduct adaptive improved germplasm materials trials of variety of seeds including cherry tomatoes, paprika, sponge vegetables, basil and other herbs, gourds vegetables, chili peppers and specialty vegetables. Improved germplasm developed by ASNAPP are multiplied and distributed to farmer association. Famers are trained later in selection, multiplication and nursery management practices.

b) Establishment of quality system : Sun International Hotel used to import fresh vegetables, herbs and small fruits from South Africa. The Hotel was faced with issues of quality, range of available products, seasonality of supply and high cost of importation. With the intervention of ASNAPP, the Hotel now receives local supply of high quality fresh vegetables that meet EU standards.

c) Market linkages for smallholder farmers of fresh herbs and vegetables. One of ASNAPP key strength is in the establishment of market linkages for farmers. Currently, ASNAPP has partnership with ShopRite through Freshmark for the supply of fresh vegetables to supermarkets. The existing market arrangements allow ASNAPP to support production to Freshmark in all countries where Freshmark operates. In Ghana, ASNAPP supplies, ShopRite, Melcom, Eden Tree, etc from it production centres across the country (Akuse, Atomic, Berekusu and Agyan-Asanta-Ahobre Enclave). These cntres are producing high quality tomato, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, Sweet pepper, and other specialty vegetables for supply.

In Malawi, ASNAPP has set up greenhouse production system for smallholders to produce fresh vegetables for PROTEA Hotel and other supermarkets. Farmers are assured of ready-made market for their produce.

In Angola, ASNAPP is providing technical support to CLUSA and CARE international to train their farmers to grow fresh vegetables for Freshmark/ShopRite supermarkets.

d) Capacity Building for farmers, Extension Officers, Researchers and policy makers: Every year, ASNAPP organizes a 3 week international training programme in South Africa and Ghana to build the capacity of key stakeholders for the production of high value horticultural commodities. Greenhouse production curriculum has been developed by ASNAPP and being offered as a thought course at the Stellenbosch University-SA and Agri-Impact Entrepreneurship and Technology Institute (AETI)-Ghana to young agricultural profession. The ASNAPP office in South Africa host the secretariat of Intensive Agricultural Association of South Africa which is made of Private Seed Companies, Farmers and Supermarkets operators