ProAgri BNZ 10

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Moringa in Zimbabwe:

The perfect vitamin for you and your livestock A

ll the vitamins needed for yourself or feed for your livestock to stay healthy, are supplied by the Moringa plant. Moringa oleifera is a fastgrowing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae. It is also called the drumstick tree. Moringa is native to areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan because it grows in warm temperatures. It is also currently on the rise in African countries such as Zimbabwe. The global Moringa market is currently $5,8 billion strong and growing at a rate of over 9% per year. According to an article on Agrinews, it is estimated to reach $10 billion by 2025. Moringa is cheaper to grow, grows

faster, and has way more uses than a tobacco plant. It is perennial and can be harvested continuously for many years. FARMVEST Agricapital secured multiyear contract agreements for production and processing of Moringa and Moringa based products in Zimbabwe earlier this year, says Agrinews' website. They have managed to secure two solid contracts, which will allow them to engage smallholder outgrowers to grow Moringa on their behalf, and have also managed to generate significant interest from various potential funding partners to help them launch their Moringa Outgrowers scheme.

In addition to the off-take agreement in Zimbabwe, Farmvest has also sealed a deal to grow and process Moringa for a South African based manufacturer who is currently producing Moringa powder, capsules, tea and who is currently developing Moringa pellets to be used as feed supplements for livestock. More about Moringa A Moringa plant contains iron, vitamin C, potassium, protein, vitamin A, calcium, and amino acids. Moringa has low calories and helps people to improve concentration. All the parts of the tree, from root to stem, including leaves, bark, flowers, fruit and seeds, are used to produce medicine. The medicine makes people more energetic, healthy, and active. Moringa is used for asthma, diabetes, obesity, symptoms of menopause, and many other conditions, but there is no scientific evidence to prove this. Some people say it also helps cure and prevent cancer. The Moringa oil is made from the seeds and used in foods, perfume, and hair care products. Moringa is an important food source in some parts of the world because it is cheap and grows easily. The immature green pods (drumsticks) are prepared in the same way as green beans, while the seeds are removed from more mature pods and cooked like peas or roasted like nuts. The leaves are cooked and used like spinach, and they are also dried and powdered for use as a condiment. Moringa is perfect for your livestock Moringa oleifera can also be used as a feed additive for livestock because their leaves are highly nutritious. Live

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 10

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