Hibiscus is delivering stronger profit margins than […]

Hibiscus is delivering stronger profit margins than maize or soya for small-scale farmers, yet Zambia’s commercial market remains small and fragmented due to limited processing and export channels.

Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times, a hibiscus grower who spoke from anonymity said the local hibiscus market is still emerging, with demand driven by small processors making teas and juices, a few exporters aggregating for regional markets, and direct consumers buying at markets and online.

“Last year was tough; too many small growers harvested at once, and middlemen dropped the price. This year we’re more organized, so prices have held,” she explained. “But it’s still volatile without contracts.” While Zambia’s climate is well suited for hibiscus, large-scale commercial farms remain rare, she said. “Large-scale needs guaranteed markets, processing plants, and finance. Banks don’t understand hibiscus like they do maize.

So most of us are on 1 to 5 hectares, not 50 or 100.” be intercropped with maize or soya, giving farmers additional income without replacing food crops.

She added that lack of mechanized drying and storage further limits scale, especially during the eain season low harvest season.

She has conducted small export trials to regional markets, including South Africa and Kenya, with interest also coming from Europe.

However, meeting international standards remains a major barrier for small growers. “The standards are high: moisture content, no contaminants, and organic certification. For a small grower, that paperwork and testing cost is the biggest barrier,” she said.

According to her, hibiscus offers better returns per hectare than maize or soya when farmers secure direct buyers.

Furthermore, she urged the government to include hibiscus under crop diversification programs and to support the establishment of small processing plants.

Article by Francine Chibuye