ZAMBIAFresh, a fresh food and vegetable company, has launched a fresh market online trading system that aims to promote and market locally produced vegetables and fruits.
A report commissioned in 2018 found that the consumption of fresh food and vegetables in Zambia is growing by 10 to 15% annually.
However, when it comes to the marketing of their produce, Zambian farmers, most of whom run small-scale operations, are being exploited and not getting their labour’s worth, stifling the growth of the country’s horticulture and agriculture sector in general.
Sean Moolenschot, CEO, ZAMBIAFresh, said the launch of an online fresh market trading system is a big milestone for Zambian small scale farmers to start trading on a secure online platform. “Our market trading system enables real price discovery. We remain committed to the development of our main market facility and food hub, and believe that the pilot site at Palabana Farm East of Lusaka will provide a tangible demonstration of a working market, albeit on a smaller scale,” said Moolenschot.
He explained that Palabana Farm has been turned into a market pilot site, where the online fresh produce trading system is live. The system has been designed and implemented by a strategic partner Freshmark Systems, whose trading software is in use at most of South Africa’s fresh produce markets.
“In Zambia our concept is 100% geared towards supply from small-scale farmers,” he said.
Moolenschot said at the core of the online trading system is the empowerment of small scale farmers.
ZAMBIAFresh has teamed up with Savenda Capital to develop the Lusaka market project in Zambia’s capital.