April 2015
Source
Immediately after the AFSTA Congress, many of the APSA delegates joined the AATF Seeds2B Open Day in Marondera near Harare, Zimbabwe.
AATF is working with partners on the implementation of tomato trials.
Field day participants travelled to the Horticulture Research Center in Marondera to get an overview of the project involving the trialling of market leading varieties of tomato as well as those of some participating vegetable seed company partners, including APSA members.
A major component of the project was not just the trialling of tomato varieties and other crops (broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green pepper) suitable for the market but also the establishment of improved farming practices which impact on disease management.
All field day participants agreed that attendance at the trial was well worthwhile.
Of particular note was the stark contrast between Asia and Zimbabwe. In Asia, crops are cultivated intensively in what at times seems to be every possible square metre of land, which was in stark contrast to Zimbabwe where thousands of square kilometres of what was cultivated farm land are now open grasslands void even of animals.
Farmers struggle to understand how to grow crops, particularly emerging cash crops such as tomato and do so by trial and error, largely have access only to seed of locally produced OP varieties, such as Moneymaker, access only to expensive low quality chemicals and fertilisers and limited access to agricultural machinery and agriculture basics including plastic tunnels which could allow the farmer to extend tomato cultivation into the winter season.
The expertise of government extension officers was low which impacts directly on the farmer. It was heart breaking to visit the trial of five hectares, while at the same time looking up to a tomato fruit processing plant closed in 2008 which overlooks thousands of hectares of open unutilised farming land once fully under tomato cultivation and supported by a small dam constructed over 15 years ago, specifically with the intention of irrigating the surrounding farm land.
All participants identified with the plight of the farmer but saw the potential of the market and arranged to submit seed of varieties for future trials.
Any company interested in adding their varieties to the trials throughout the participating countries in Africa should contact Mr. Edgar Wavomba
(e.wavomba@aatf-africa.org).
More details on AATF can be found on their website (aatf-africa.org).
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