Communal farmers benefit from links with commercial buyers

Some 125,000 rural households in Zimbabwe have seen an increase in crop yields and income following efforts by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost agricultural production in communal farming areas. Since 2001 USAID has implemented the Linkages for the Economic Advancement of the Disadvantaged (LEAD) programme in 50 of the 57 districts country-wide. The aim of the programme has been to establish links between commercial buyers and small-scale farmers. "Costs for a programme like this are significantly lower than food aid. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation estimates that it costs slightly less than US $600/mt to deliver maize or sorghum, while production costs for communal farmers producing their own food average around $75/mt of grain," the United States embassy in the capital, Harare, said. According to USAID, a deal brokered between communal farmers and Interfresh, a local fruit and vegetable wholesaler, had resulted in higher production levels and better quality, also noting that Interfresh provided agronomist services to the farmers and their associations. "Improved agronomic practices have led to higher selling prices, and higher turnover. Communal farmers are now thinking of their farming activities as businesses, and not just subsistence farming," the agency said. Improved incomes meant that households had funds for school fees and essential medicines, "and in general, a better quality of life". Among the benefits of the LEAD programme was the development of commodity associations and an improvement of business management skills among small-scale farmers, the embassy said. LEAD technicians provided on-going training in improved irrigation methods as well as advice on low-cost means of building soil fertility. So far, LEAD has facilitated and supported 22 linkage projects for a range of produce, including cotton, coffee, pineapples, sorghum and millet.