Author: agric-t
By Almot MaqoloThe industry of agriculture can be viewed as a chain of interlinked activities – from farm to factory to fork. Each piece in the chain is linked by marketing, which intermediates the transfer of output from one node of the chain to the other. Like any piece in a chain, it has to be the right fit at both ends. Launched in August 2021, the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange (ZMX) has been hailed as a game-changer in the ongoing efforts to boost development in the agricultural sector. The event marked the return of a commodity-based exchange since the Zimbabwe Agricultural…
Figure 1 Mr basil Chikondowa standing in front of the new standard goat housing holding a boer cross: Picture supplied by Kevin Maenzanise the Communications and Policy Officer By Lungelo Ndhlovu BASIL Chikondowa, a goat farmer from Buhera District, Manicaland province had practiced goat rearing using the traditional approach passed down from his ancestors since time immemorial. He housed his goats in a traditional wooden kraal covered by a thatched roof which sometimes leaked when it rained resulting in goat diseases. But the goat rearing project was hardly viewed as a viable enterprise because of small goat carcasses that were poorly…
By Victor Bhoroma The Zimbabwean government recently reviewed upwards producer prices for maize, traditional grains, soya beans and sunflower in line with inflation and the need to improve supply in the market. The new floor prices for maize and traditional grains are ZW$75,000 per Metric Tonne (MT), for Soya Beans ZW$171,495/MT and for Sunflower ZW$205,795/MT. When paired against the pegged central bank exchange rate, the producer prices are way overvalued. However, the better picture in terms of planning comes when the prices are paired against the ruling current exchange rates on the market. However, the disparity in terms of prices…
By Lungelo Ndhlovu In January the price of fertilizers went up, dealing a heavy blow to small- holder farmers in the country. “A 50kg bag of ammonium nitrate which was pegged at around US$37 now retails for anything between US$55 and US$70,” said Mbuso Nkomo, a farmer from Esigodini. Zimbabwe usually imports ammonium nitrate fertiliser from Russia which might affect its next farming season (2022/2023) since Russia has recently ringfenced its product to protect its local farmers. Nkomo indicated fertiliser prices were beyond reach for most farmers in the country since it is sold in United States dollars in most…
By Lungelo Ndhlovu In response to the changing climate in Zimbabwe, traditional grains such as sorghum, pearl millet, bambara ground nuts and finger millet are securing income and food for small-holder farmers across Zimbabwe despite the effects of drought. The persistent dry-spell and high temperatures left maize crop beyond repair in most districts across Zimbabwe this farming season but sunflower, and sorghum have proved to be drought-resistant crops, according to Saziso Nyoni, a small- holder farmer from Gokwe South. “Sunflower and sorghum have proved to be drought resistant crops if you compare them to the maize crops which suffered moisture stress as a…
Following a plunge in output that hit the horticultural sector in the aftermath of agrarian reforms during the early 2000s, the industry has been slowly recovering. Of late, the government has been working with the private sector to rebuild capacities aimed at increasing production and output. Passion fruit, which is the South African name for Granadilla, is one of the horticultural products that can offer lucrative returns for local farmers. At its peak in the 1990s, the sector generated about US$140 million per annum. Marketing experts claim that passion fruit has a ready foreign market. But many local farmers are…
The use of drone technology for irrigation purposes which saves water by 90 percent implemented by the Farmbuzz Agriculture Solution for the first time in Zimbabwe is proving an effective and smarter approach to sustainable agriculture, amid drought and climate change. With the depletion of dams and underground water in the next twenty years the environment would’ve changed or worsened in Zimbabwe due to climate change, and this has led local farmers to try out new technologies such as drip irrigation to save water, said Emmanuel Marume, the Farmbuzz director. “Currently we are using drones to spray chemicals such as…