Small holder farmers in three districts of Manicaland province have set up a marketing association dedicated to cultivating strong networks to ensure they earn fair prices for agricultural produce.
NewZimbabwe.com gathered farmers from Chipinge, Chimanimani and Buhera districts have joined hands to come up with a new marketing and business model.
They are from irrigation schemes namely Maunganidze, Nyanyadzi, Tonhorai, Bonda, Devuli, Gudyanga, Chakohwa, Mutema, Bwerudza, Musikavanhu, Chibuwe, Taona and Deure.
The development comes after a United States-based economic growth and development advisor, Dr Patrick Ludgate, recently trained a contingent so they augment their incomes by practicing market oriented agriculture, as opposed to subsistence farming.
Most small holder farmers in the region were bearing the brunt of exploitation by greedy middlemen, who set the price for produce, and got higher returns than the farmers, despite incurring notable costs during the production cycle.
Deure Irrigation Cooperative Society Limited Scheme business manager, Victor Makuyana, said farmers launched a marketing board last week in a bid to tame the tide.
Makuyana noted the association was noble as it will allow farmers set up fair prices for their fresh produce and increase their market share.
"The board will regulate and monitor fair trade within the irrigation schemes through same standards," said Makuyana.
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"The farmers lacked bargaining power to set the price for their produce. It was very detrimental as the price that the farmers would normally accept from buyers would not cover all their production costs."
Makuyana added: "The board has a responsibility to source out new markets in order to increase the farmers share. Farmers will know where to sell the products and what type of products are preferred by the markets.
"It will be a focal point from which buyers have information on where to find specific produce within the province."
The block system will help to decrease the flooding of fresh produce on the market, hence no crops will be produced without a ready defined market.
"The marketing association board is one strategy which shall be used to address the similar problems being faced by irrigation schemes in the province.
"It will be responsible for advocating for a fair trade within irrigation schemes and ensure they manage the market forces in the macro and micro environment," he said, adding that plans were afoot to work with the Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA).
Irrigation schemes in the province produce crops such as legumes, grains, vegetables and tomatoes, which are supplied to Mutare and other cities.
