Michael Tome Business Reporter FARMERS should embrace an agro-business approach anchored on the “Farm to Fork” concept to promote value addition, strengthen market linkages and improve returns for producers, as…
**Michael Tome **
Business Reporter
FARMERS should embrace an agro-business approach anchored on the “Farm to Fork” concept to promote value addition, strengthen market linkages and improve returns for producers, as the country intensifies efforts to build a competitive and sustainable agricultural sector, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.
He said the approach would enable farmers to move beyond primary production and participate more meaningfully in the value chains arising from their produce.
Speaking at the 14th Annual National Agribusiness Conference (ANAC) held on the sidelines of the ongoing 116th Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) on Wednesday, VP Chiwenga said the model would ensure creation of value across the agricultural economy, beginning at farm level.
He encouraged farmers to become more involved in processing their produce at source to reduce unnecessary costs and retain more value within farming communities.
The conference ran under the theme, “Agricultural productivity as a catalyst for agribusiness growth and food security”.
VP Chiwenga said the Government would continue prioritising value-chain development and agro-industrialisation.
He said farmer-owned cooperatives could play a key role in the process by mobilising resources to establish and own crop-processing plants, in line with the Government’s policy on value addition and rural industrialisation.
“We must begin to adopt an agro-business approach anchored in the ‘Farm to Fork’ concept, often referred to as ‘Farm to Table Policy’. Under this model, the whole value is promoted across the entire agricultural economy at the farm. Then, these farmers’ produce is aggregated for both local and export markets.
“I therefore call upon farmers to actively participate in the agriculture processing value chain, by producing and processing their products at source in order to reduce unnecessary costs.
“Government would also continue supporting production and processing initiatives aimed at increasing crop output, improving market access and strengthening agricultural value chains,” said VP Chiwenga.
The push towards farm-level processing and stronger value-chain integration comes as Zimbabwe seeks to move agriculture beyond primary production and increase the sector’s contribution to industrialisation, exports and economic growth.
By linking farmers to work closely with processors, financiers, technology providers and markets, the Farm-to-Fork approach is expected to create opportunities for higher-value production and reduce post-harvest losses and transaction costs across the agricultural economy.
VP Chiwenga said a productive agricultural sector was critical to ensuring adequate food supplies, stabilising prices, generating household incomes and building resilience against economic and climate-related shocks.
He said the success of the Government”s agricultural strategy depended on coordination and active participation by stakeholders across the agricultural business ecosystem, including input suppliers, financiers, processors, transporters, exporters, technology providers and retailers.
The VP noted that the Government would continue to prioritise productivity-led agricultural growth through policies and programmes aimed at empowering farmers and agribusinesses to improve production and competitiveness.
The Government interventions will focus on expanding and rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure, improving access to affordable agricultural finance, and accelerating farm mechanisation and modernisation.
VP Chiwenga said the Government would also strengthen agricultural research, innovation and technology adoption and enhance extension services to equip farmers with the technical knowledge needed to improve productivity.
He added that initiatives supporting localised production on farms would remain a key priority, alongside efforts to strengthen aggregation, value addition and beneficiation across agricultural value chains
Speaking at the same event, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said Zimbabwe must leverage its agricultural resources, strategic location and human capital to transition into a regional agro-industrial hub.
Minister Masuka said the transition would be critical to unlocking higher agricultural productivity, expanding agribusiness and growing Zimbabwe”s contribution to regional food security.
“Zimbabwe clearly must move and transition from becoming a breadbasket to becoming the agro-industrial hub, serving the region, taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area, but going beyond so that we can begin to create the Zimbabwe we want.
“If we get productivity right, agribusiness growth and food security will follow,” Minister Masuka said.
He said the country is strategically located in Southern Africa and has diverse agro-ecological regions, good soils and climatic conditions that support production of a wide range of crops and livestock which provide for a provide for a strong foundation for agro-industrial development.
