Brighton Gumbo Business Reporter
HIGH transport, branding and packaging costs are adversely affecting the viability of farmers, particularly small scale ones.

Speaking at an event organised by Pro Africa Development Trust in Bulawayo at the Large City Hall on Friday, they highlighted the need of support in transport to get their products to the market and also awareness on packaging and branding of their produce.

Gwanda farmers’ representative, Ben Matsholokwana said: “Most of the harvest is perishable and we normally have a challenge taking it to the market because of transport costs. As such we tend to produce on a limited scale so as to minimise losses in case we don’t sell.”

“We’re aware of the competition from outside traders particularly in packaging and branding and as farmers we’re eager to learn about such technological improvements. We’ve a very good example of such a case in Matobo where farmers were educated on incubation. Now they don’t have to carry their eggs to Harare for incubation,” he said.

The event was also attended by Bulawayo mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo.

He said:

“Pro Africa has encouraged growth in the farming sector with their irrigation schemes in Matabeleland South. Like a mother does to her child, she first makes her accustomed to light food before leaving breast milk, so farmers also must be weaned so that they can stand on their own feet.”

He added that farmers are welcome to Bulawayo to establish markets for their produce.

A representative of OK Zimbabwe Jason Moyo branch, Thandiwe Ndlovu, said the supermarket faces a challenge of unreliability on the part of farmers.

“Most of the individuals we accept, all in the name of farmers tend to supply us for two, three days and after that they disappear. As such we usually have problems meeting demand,” said Ndlovu.

She added that they have now engaged Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) which availed forms for suppliers to declare that they are farmers, so that OK will not collect tax from them.

Pro Africa Development Trust is a local organisation which operates in Matabeleland and seeks to economically empower rural communities’ women, men and youth. With various environmentally friendly projects which range from establishing and running sustainable gravity fed irrigation schemes to small livestock and conservation agriculture, it endeavours to reduce poverty among rural populations through the empowerment of communities and to foster sustainable and dignified livelihoods.