Herald Reporter
FARMER representative organisations have urged smallholder producers to add value to their crops and realise more profits instead of selling their produce at give away prices.

Most smallholder farmers are failing to achieve viability as their vegetables are fetching low prices on the flooded markets.

Farmers from Domboshawa, Mutoko, Goromonzi and Murehwa, among others, usually sell their produce at the Mbare vegetable market but of late, prices have been very low, exposing producers to losses as most of the crops are highly perishable.

Domboshawa farmer, Mrs Gertrude Madiro said it was disheartening that after working hard to produce vegetables, she found the market flooded.

“We wish we could have other markets for our produce. Now with the lockdown regulations, we cannot move to other areas to look for thriving markets,” she said.

Another farmer, Mr Bright Mupondiwa said in some cases, the middlemen infamously known as “makoronyera”, were disrupting the marketing of horticultural crops. “When we get to Mbare, we become powerless as the middlemen take over the marketing of our produce. They are the ones who peg prices and in the end we realise losses,” he said.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union director, Mr Paul Zakariya, said smallholder farmers were experiencing such challenges every year.

He said they were giving out market information to farmers for free on different platforms including mobile networks.

“Vegetables normally grow better when we are getting into winter. Because of lack of market information some farmers go on to produce a crop without establishing a market. As the ZFU, we have a weekly market bulletin that can be used by farmers as a guide on the types of crops to grow, when to grow and where to access viable markets. Farmers should always establish markets before producing,” he said.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Mr Shadreck Makombe advised farmers to form groups and collectively establish a market which they could supply throughout the year.