Mozambican Seed Producer Plants Seeds for Success
By: Cnfa, Cultivating New Frontiers In Agriculture
Tags: Agriculture, Farming, Volunteering, Usaid, Mozambique

Companhia de Zembe CEO, Antonio Manjate at the company headquarters in Chimoio. The slogan at the top reads “Together We Invest in Success.” Photo courtesy of Antonio Manjate.

The proliferation of counterfeit seeds and low-quality agricultural inputs is a major challenge in Mozambique. Antonio Manjate, owner of seed supply company — Companhia de Zembe, sought to overcome these challenges by establishing an agribusiness to supply reliable, high-quality seeds that meet both regional and international quality standards. Through support from Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) implementer Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), Manjate steadily progressed his business and developed the tools that were needed for success.

Manjate started his business in 2011 with a focus on grain production before shifting the focus to seed supply. From 2012 to 2019 he hosted seven F2F volunteers, and over this period his business grew 100-fold — from three tons to 300 tons per year — and expanded to include soybeans, beans, cowpeas, maize, sesame and agro-inputs.

Initially, F2F volunteer assignments helped Manjate understand and identify the cornerstones on which his company was built — seed quality and reliability — so that the company could build trust with farmers and a positive reputation for the Zembe brand. Their coaching covered several topics, including farm management, strategic business planning and development, irrigation plans for seed production, marketing, and a branding development strategy.

F2F volunteer, Kirk Schmidt with Companhia de Zembe staff while on assignment in Chimoio, Mozambique. Photograph courtesy of Kirk Schmidt.

During one assignment with volunteer Kirk Schmidt in 2012, Manjate shared that he saw his own mentality change as he began to better understand the vast potential in agriculture through a well-planned business. “Before, we had no strategy,” Manjate said. “But now that we have harvested, we can see the advantages in our farming operations because we are using improved varieties and cultivation techniques.”

Similarly, Schmidt saw the potential in Manjate’s rapid responsiveness noting that “Zembe developed a flexible operational structure, recognizing supply hurdles and planning around them, to reach new successes.”

That assignment alone led to a production increase from five to 65 tons of maize, soybeans, sesame, and beans, as well as contracts with large buyers. Most importantly, it allowed Manjate to leave his job to work full-time at Companhia de Zembe.

Woman shops at Companhia de Zembe headquarters in Chimoio, Mozambique.

In 2014, Zembe further diversified its products to include fertilizers and other varieties of seed after a F2F volunteer supported the company to develop a new business plan. To support this expansion, F2F also provided a volunteer in 2016 to assist in the development of a new five-year strategic plan which included the creation of an out-grower network.

Today, Zembe works with a network of 50 out-growers, and plans to increase to 70 in the 2020–2021 season.

Zembe’s success extends beyond the company itself — providing improved access to quality seed for thousands of customers, supporting greater incomes, and ultimately improving food security.

Noting his gratitude for the work F2F volunteers have provided over the years, Manjate said, “The CNFA F2F volunteers helped us build a brand that has a reputation in the market and is financially viable. Thanks to them, we can say today that our goal is to be the leaders in the seed market in Mozambique.”