Trade Focus
Allan Majuru

Nyimo/indlubu, also known as the Bambara beans/nuts, have always been a part of Zimbabwe’s basket of delicacies for generations.

It is a good source of protein, easy to prepare, and is usually consumed as breakfast or lunch by millions of people.

Further, growing Bambara beans is not complicated; they perform well in many soils, making it possible to grow them across all regions, even in dry areas.

This is a product that most communities can grow with ease.

What is exciting, however, is not only the treasured history Zimbabwe has with the product, but also the potential to earn millions through exporting it.

Demand for the product is projected to grow around the world.

Considering the current drive by the Second Republic to promote the cultivation of indigenous, and drought-tolerant crops that can perform well in harsh conditions, increased production of export-oriented Bambara beans will unlock rural communities’ access to export markets. This will in turn improve the contribution of the agricultural sector to national exports.

Apart from meeting global demand, Bambara beans can provide sustainable incomes for rural communities, particularly those who failing to produce adequate maize harvests due to climate change.

In addition, Bambara beans can provide part of the solution to improving the nation’s food and nutrition security, as well as generating income for rural communities.

To improve income generation for rural communities, ZimTrade — the national trade development and promotion organisation — is working with Welthungerhilfe and Empretec to improve competitiveness and export potential in inclusive value chains that are usually referred to as “pro-poor” value chains.

The Strengthening Competitiveness and Potential for Export for Inclusive Value Chains in Zimbabwe (SCOPE4IVC) 2020-2023 project is targeting Bambara, marula, and chilli products.

Here, ZimTrade and its partners will improve capacities of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) so that they meet requirements for exporting Bambara nuts, marula, and chilli to the European Union and other markets.

The project contributes to the key result area of export product diversification covered under the National Export Strategy, launched by President Mnangagwa in 2019.

The product

Bambara bean also known as vigna subterranean is a legume mainly grown by subsistence farmers in the sub-Saharan Africa. It is said to be the third most important legume in semi-arid Africa after peanuts and cowpeas.

The nuts can be eaten fresh as snacks by boiling or roasting but can also be dried.

The dried bean can be ground and sieved to produce flour which can be used for making bread, cakes or dumplings.

Bambara beans are related to cowpeas and can be used both for human and animal consumption. The product is resistant to high temperatures, which makes the crop suitable for soils where other leguminous crops cannot be grown.

The product is considered as a low-impact crop, making it one of the products with high potential for areas that receive below-normal rainfall. Most Bambara beans varieties take 3-6 months to mature, depending on the climate.

The crop can be grown in sandy loam soils and is easier to harvest in well drained soils. In Zimbabwe, the fast-growing Bambara bean is inter-cropped with maize and cowpeas or even planted as a sole crop.

Potential markets

The current world market for dried Bambara beans is still small, but with potential for growth.

According to Trade Map, the global import bill of the product was just US$1,7 million in 2020, up from US$1,23 million in 2019. This shows that countries that quickly increase exports now will likely command the largest share when the market grows bigger.

Although Zimbabwe’s exports of the product are negligible, the current market share indicates potential for the country to command a much bigger market.

Currently, the major importing countries for the product are Saudi Arabia, South Africa, USA, Chile, Uganda, UK, and Netherlands.

Zimbabwe already enjoys trading relations with most of these markets and has even easier access to South Africa, which is the second largest importer of Bambara beans in the world.

Europe is believed to offer a relatively stable market for Bambara beans and growers should pay attention to meeting the required standards and volumes considering the rising interest in exotic cuisines by European consumers.

For Zimbabwean growers, there is potential in Italy, United Kingdom and Netherlands markets.

To export Bambara beans to Europe, it is always important for exporters to adhere to the strict rules and obligations on food safety. The general food law that regulates food safety in the European Union also applies to dried beans.

Exporters must make sure that the beans are traceable and that systems like the HACCP are well in place.

For African markets such as South Africa, local exporters can ride on the African Continental Free Trade Area or regional trade agreements such as the SADC Trade Protocol to enjoy low tariffs.

Consumption in Asian countries is expected to increase hence creating more market alternatives.

Zimbabwean farmers are also encouraged to consider tapping into those markets. Consolidation will improve market access In most cases, there are challenges that are associated with producing the crop at commercial level, making it ideal for smallholder farmers who are looking to be integrated into the export business.

However, since the export business is a game of numbers, potential exporters will need to consider consolidation so that they meet minimum order requirements.

This way, farmers will ensure that the little they produce can find its way to export markets and sustain demand over longer periods of time.

To achieve this, concerted efforts must be made to mainstream group cohesion and embarking on aggregation as a way for smallholder farmers to tap into lucrative export destinations.

Consolidation and aggregation will increase their export volumes, reduce cost of freight, and improve the competitiveness of Zimbabwe-grown Bambara beans on export markets.

Currently, ZimTrade is implementing a Best Model Farm approach, working with selected exporting farms to on-board smallholder farmers in production of high value crops such as flowers, peas, and fine beans.

A similar arrangement can be developed, focusing on smallholder Bambara beans farmers, which will unlock their access to export markets.

Lessons can also be drawn from the current national garlic project that is focusing on integrating rural communities into garlic export business.

Allan Majuru is the ZimTrade chief executive.