THE PRODUTION OF EGGPLANT

BY MERCYNAMFUKWE

EGGPLANTS area nutrient rich food that contains fiber, vitamins and minerals which benefits the overall health including the heart. Although eggplants are often considered a vegetable, they are technically a fruit as they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds.

There are many varieties that range in size and color, while eggplants with a deep purple skin are most common with its unique texture and mild flavor to recipes as it brings a host of potential health benefits.

Member of the Free corner Agro Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Lusaka west, John C. Sakala says his cooperative has ventured into horticulture as they grow variety of crops and they are also into animal production.

He said duringthe onset of land preparation they make sure that they till the land to the depth of at least 40 millimeters so that there is air for the egg plants before transplanting them. He said after transplanting they begin with D Compound on the transplants and two weeks later, they give it poly feed with CAN fertilizer.

“Looking at the production of eggplants, we begin with the land preparation; we make sure that we get rid of the weeds that are in the field. After we do that, we don’t burn the grass we keep it until it decomposes,” he said.

He explained that when they notice that the grass has decomposed, they prepare the drips depending on the number of drips and for a 100-meter length of drip requires approximately 150 plants of egg plants.

He said eggplant production requires regular watering on a daily basis. A farmer should water itand skip a day that way will help to mitigate the challenges of the dry spells because lack of water can make the eggplant fruit to crack which will be of low quality and won’t fetch a good price on the market.

“We don’t do a30-centimeter spacing to avoid the pest and insects taking ravage of the plant, what we do is we give the eggplants more space than the usual crops so that it becomes easy for us to mitigate the insects and the pests,” he stated.

He added that they also apply Multi Care to enhance the flower production noting that the plant will begin to produce the fruits of the egg plants in a month to 2, after 3 to4 months you can begin to harvest the fruits of the eggplant.

Additionally, along the length of time there is also spraying against red spiders, white flies, catworms and other pests that invades in the farm land needs to be treated with pesticides and insecticides, the use of fungicides like copper oxychloride, victory and benomyl and other fungicides depending on the type of pests affecting the crop.

“Farming is productive and beneficial to us as farmers because I can grow a herd of cabbage which may cost a 1 kwacha for it to grow and when taken on the market can fetch an amount of 5 kwacha when sold on the market can make a good turn over for a farmer,” Mr. Sakala said.

Mr. Sakala disclosed that the other challenge is lack of market for their ready produce and also the fluctuation of the commodity price on the market.

Furthermore, a difficulty in finding transport to take the produce to the market is another impediment.

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