Realigning Our Schools: Building Professional Learning Communities
REALIGNING INPUT MARKETS TO FARMER NEEDS
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Transcript of REALIGNING INPUT MARKETS TO FARMER NEEDS
The case of Zimbabwe
Massive production of all agricultural commodities to ensure national food security and household food self sufficiency
Contributes between 16 and 20% of GDP Over 40% of national exports 60% of raw materials to agro industries Provides livelihoods to over 70% of the
population Employment for some 1/3 of formal labour
force
Food crops – maize, wheat, small grains Cash crops – tobacco, cotton, coffee, tea,
sugarcane Livestock – cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,
poultry Horticulture – fruits, vegetables , flowers
Fertilizer shortage > low capacity utilisation due to lack of foreign currency
Limited hybrid seed availability > poor supplies of fertilizer, erratic fuel and electricity
Untimely and inapropriate supply of inputs Recurrent droughts and floods Limited financial resources to smallholder
farmers Limited investment in agriculture> irrigation,
infrastructure, market dvpt Limited research and extension > funding
constraints ( cell phone farmers)
Contract farming – cotton, maize, tobacco, barley Linking commodity and input marketing – GMB ,
farmers deliver maize and get inputs in return ( or cash)
Seed fairs – done by AGRITEX, NGOs and seed houses across the country
Warehouse receipts (WR) – improving input credit and adding flexibility in farmer selling decisions. Will weed out ineffective farmers. WR development at an advanced level
Vulnerable farmers – targeted 1million households including 600 000households under FAO. Level of support – 1/3 to 1/2ha. Package includes seeds and fertilizers
Livestock production – rehabilitation of dip tanks, vaccinations, supplementary feeding etc
Irrigation development and drought mitigation – potential 600 000ha but less than 200 000ha developed and functional. Vast water bodies available including underground water.
Farm mechanization – acquisition of tractors, combine harvesters and implements to improve productivity
strengthening of commodity associations, cooperatives and farmer’s unions
Strengthening research and extension services
Promoting investment in agriculture – free market, multicurrency environment but still require irrigation development, input and output market development, infrastructure, among others.