Beans at Chibanzi

Chibanzi Village has excellent condition for growing beans. This rainy season we are piloting a bean production loan. Farmers are loaned seeds, which they will return twofold after the harvest.

Farmers were given 6 kilograms of beans to plant. This is enough to intercrop (mix more than one crop in a field) with one acre of maize or tobacco. They expect to harvest about 50 kilos of beans each, from which they will return 12 kilos to the seed bank.

In the future, the seedbank will be large enough that farmers can take out 20-30 kilos of seed each. Providing beans throughout the year, in every household. As the seedbank grows, more farmers will be able to join in.

A seedbank also ensures that seeds are available at the time of planting. Otherwise, some farmers end up eating their last beans, leaving nothing to plant when the rainy season arrives.