NWK Agri-Services

Veterinary Program
Mumbwa, Central Province, Zambia

THE CLIENT AND CHALLENGE

As a long-term market leader in the cotton industry, NWK Agri-Services (NWK) has the largest out-grower scheme in
Zambia with a farmer base of roughly 120,000 most of these being smallholder farmers. NWKs operations include 7
gin sites, 9 regional offices, 50 agricultural sheds and a network of over 1,000 distributors working to serve their farmers
who are situated across the country.

The reality of smallholder farmers in Zambia is that they rely on farming by hand and with livestock to produce food for
their families and to grow the cotton they sell. Despite the importance of animals being used for farming, NWK noticed
that most of these families struggle to access veterinary services and medicines for their cattle, and therefore have
cattle die throughout the year. In an effort to find a solution to this challenge, NWK saw an opportunity to implement
a shared value business model. Therefore, in early 2015, they engaged Agova, shared value consultants, to help them
launch a new business stream that could improve the heath of their farmers cattle while simultaneously increasing
business outcomes in terms of increased crop production and increased sales for their trade center. NWK sees shared
value business models as win-win for them and their farmers. Agova helped NWK launch the program in its first year.
Since it is outside of NWKs core business of crops, an Agova consultant was hired to focus on the livestock program.

PROJECT AND IMPACT

The [livestock program] wouldnt have
NWK launched the program in Mumbwa, near one of their ginneries and
gotten off the ground without [the Agova
trade centers that sell agricultural products. The Agova consultant set up:
consultant] there. The project had
Six spray races for tick prevention for one Kwacha ($0.10 USD) per
already started by the time she got there;
animal
even though the project had already
A veterinary assistant to manage the spray races
begun, little progress had been made.
Selling critical livestock vaccinations and medications close to the
She was responsible for establishing
farmers homes
systems and ensuring that
Livestock husbandry training for farmers
implementation was effective and
sustainable. Stuart Hall, NWK
One year later, the business impacts include:
On average 2,220 cattle being sprayed on a weekly basis
Cattle deaths have been reduced, meaning a savings of an average
value of $248 per animal for smallholders in the area, and thus
improving their livelihoods

For more information on Agova, contact:

Stephanie Arneson, Agova Business Development Manager
stephaniearneson@ewb.ca