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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

A LOCAL business consortium, Agriculture Business Centre (ABC), has contracted over 6 500 smallholder farmers in Gokwe South to produce sunflower, sorghum, pearl millet, cowpeas, and chillies.

ABC is a pro-business investment vehicle focused on providing lasting solutions for sustainable market linkages for smallholder farmers.

It was set up in 2019 by a German non-governmental organisation, Welthungerhilfe, and Empretec Zimbabwe, with funding from the European Union to help support the sustenance of profitable enterprises and budding entrepreneurs.

ABC general manager, Mr Vernon Mushoriwa, said promoting sustainable development through the empowerment of youths for inclusive participation in the mainstream economy was critical.

“We have contracted over 6 500 smallholder farmers in Gokwe South to produce sunflower, sorghum, pearl millet, cowpeas and chillies,” he said.

“We are also working on going across in Gokwe North as more farmers are eager to join us after seeing success stories from their fellow farmers.

“We’re assisting farmers to grow drought-resistant crops, which are doing well in Gokwe South and are turning out to be cash crops for the farmers.

“This is our fourth year in production of sunflower and other small grain crops. The social enterprise has seen an increase in demand for sunflower production by smallholder farmers in Gokwe South,” said Mr Mushoriwa.

Establishing a long-term relationship between smallholder farmers and agri-processing businesses, exporters, and retailers is at the core of the organisation’s mandate. While farmers often produce commodities, they struggle to sell those at better markets hence at the end of the day they sell to the middleman who shortchange them, he said.

In order to break this chain, ABC is playing a critical role in linking farmers to markets directly, said Mr Mushoriwa.

“Ready markets provide an incentive to increase the production capacity for smallholder farmers as they will be able to participate effectively and profitably in commercial markets,” said Mr Mushoriwa.

“Market linkages play a critical role in the agricultural business as it facilitates economic efficiency by promoting the exchange of goods, services, and other resources.”

Under ABC assistance, farmers are trained by extension officers on various aspects from land preparation to post-harvest to meet the market requirements such as grade, quality, demand, and expectations.

“These trainings equip the farmers with the best techniques on how to produce goods that meet the market requirements easily,” he said.

Mr Mushoriwa said key value chains under the programme include sunflower production, which is a drought-resistant crop and less susceptible to diseases but offers multiple livelihood opportunities.

The programme is also developing Bambara nuts, which is a crop that is rich in protein and micronutrients.

“This value chain development offers an opportunity for women empowerment as they are the ones that mainly grow this crop.

“Bambara nut is drought resistant, can tolerate high temperatures, and is suitable for marginal soils. It makes very little demand on the soil and can grow without the application of fertilisers,” said Mr Mushoriwa.

“This crop is important for smallholder farmers because it is an important source of food security and has the potential for the export market.”

Through the ABC Commodity Associations, farmers can receive inputs at discounted prices while the organisation ensures they acquire agro-inputs, access services, and information that enables them to properly produce the market-driven farm value chains.

“Our extension services facilitate access to market trades, organising farmers and producer groups, and working with farmers.

“Agriculture extension plays a role in improving farmers’ productivity and income thereby reducing poverty and increasing food security,” said Mr Mushoriwa.

ABC has also established mango drying centres in Gokwe South district to process and value-add the fruit, which is abundant in the area. Over 500 farmers are benefiting as suppliers to the processing plants, economically empowering them, and creating direct employment.

This is in tandem with the Government policy of rural industrialisation aimed at curbing rural-to-urban migration.

“ABC started the idea of sun drying mangoes as a way of value-adding to the fruit. Value addition increases the value of primary agriculture produce by increasing appeal to the customers and the customers’ willingness to pay a premium,” said Mr Mushoriwa.

This has improved incomes for farmers as they are now able to sell their ripe mangoes to ABC instead of throwing them away, said Mr Mushoriwa who indicated that the initiative will soon be spread to Nkayi and Zhombe.