Practical Action Regional Director Ernest and Rutendo FCTZ joins Oliver and his wife in their potato field
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Practical Action Zimbabwe
Issue Date
30/01/2015
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture , Economic Development
Alternative Title
Promoting Smallholder Market Engagement PIN 5000425
Abstract
Dates: March 2013 - March 2016 Areas: Manicaland Province; Mutasa; Nyanga; Mutare; Chimanimani Project Manager Hopewell Zheke Donor: Big Lottery Fund Description The project will strengthen the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Manicaland in Zimbabwe through improving agricultural production and enabling farmers to engage in markets on better terms. There are approximately 200,000 households dependent on smallholder farming in Manicaland, most of who hold small plots in irrigation schemes along with non-irrigated land. Over the past decade, public and private sector agricultural extension services have deteriorated. Agricultural inputs are difficult to secure and often late and when they are available, credit to buy them is difficult to access. As a result, productivity has fallen drastically. Many commercial companies that used to support farmers and purchase produce have collapsed and those that remain are reluctant to travel far from the main roads, leaving many smallholder farmers impoverished. In the current situation, the horticultural crops grown by women in the winter offer the greatest potential for increasing incomes. The project will work directly with 7,490 smallholder farmers (70% of who will be women) in 11 irrigation schemes in Manicaland Province to strengthen their livelihoods and increase their incomes through: • Forming and strengthening farmers marketing groups • Improving demand-led agro-input supply chains • Restoring market linkages and strengthening farmers’ capacity to engage with market actors on equitable terms • Building the farm management capacity of farmers through securing access to credit and enhancing entrepreneurial skills Expected results • Smallholder farmers’ incomes increasing by at least 50% • Smallholder farmers being able to grow a wider range of crops in response to local conditions and market demand • A range of more equitable marketing options are open to smallholder farmers • Strengthened extension services throughout Manicaland which are better able to support smallholder farmers to respond to market opportunities.
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