Jatropha curcas in Zambia

 

A Jatropha hedge in Coma district of Southern Province Jatropha trees planted in 1966 by a worker returning from Zimbabwe A copy of the Binga lamp in Africare's lab

In Zambia the Jatropha plant is alredy used for live fencing in some provinces (Eastern, Western, Northern), but in most of the country it only exists in spots and is used as an ornamental plant. An exploitation in a larger scale is just starting.

The present situation of Jatropha in Southern Province can be described as follows: 

After an internal evaluation the knowledge about Jatropha in Southern Province is well disseminated since the Jatropha mission of R. Henning in November 1999, but the use of Jatropha didn't yet get to the roots:
  • About 50 % of the farmers know Jatropha and its value;
  • About 9.500 m of Jatropha hedges have been planted;
  • and approx. 15.000 Jatropha plants exist, newly planted or already existing.

It seems that these figures are quite optimistic, because the farmers cannot meet the demand of seeds from neighbouring provinces and from South Africa.

On a nation wide level the following organisations are working with Jatropha:

Africare
Zambia		 Mount Makulu
Research Station		 National Council for
Scientific Research		 Zambian National
Farmers Union

Conception & maintenance by:
      
last modification  21.01.06