AWIDE Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Pelagia Kapuya, told The Zimbabwean that women farmers failed to make money because they were being exploited by unscrupulous dealers.
She said the Grain Marketing Board had periodically failed to pay farmers on time to prepare for the next agricultural season, thus further worsening the farmer’s vicious cycle.
“We started our initiative by assisting women in Matabeleland because 80 percent of the inhabitants are women. Over the years we realised that female farmers were not benefiting much as they lacked a proper market to sell their produce and they were often harassed for selling at undesignated points,” she said.
AWIDE has been liaising with retail shops to buy farming produce from women farmers.
“We have approached retail outlets like Spar and OK who have agreed to sell our products but women have been failing to meet the demand because these shops require the products in large quantities,” said Kapuya.
Deborah Takawira, a Consultant and Marketing Specialist with AWIDE, said AWIDE initiated a process of market development.
“With the assistance of HIVOS and Footballs for Fun, AWIDE has been holding market expos every month in Bulawayo,” she explained.
The overall goal of AWIDE programme is to empower women by enhancing their capacity.
“AWIDE has been able to initiate what is proving to be successful market linkage programmes which in 2011 were expanded to four districts in Matabeleland South,” Takawira said. In an effort to expand operations, the organisation opened a Harare office recently and will hold its second farmers’ market expo in the capital from 30 to 31 March.
“We teach women to refine their farming produce like peanut butter, chilli sauces, jams, sugar beans and many others. We just look at what women in a certain location have and innovate to suit the market demand,” she said.
Takawira said the expo would provide an opportunity for shoppers to buy quality, healthy organic products from women farmers.
AWIDE bemoaned the absence of policies supporting women farmers saying they were vital for creating an enabling environment needed for female food producers.
Post published in: News