Hwange Farmers Cry Foul Over Poor Access to Markets

In drought prone regions irrigation has enabled farmers to sustain a living. Image by Australian National University

BY RUTENDO MAPFUMO | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | NOV 18, 2020

Irrigation schemes in Hwange have enabled farmers to produce more products for business, existing market annihilation challenges and the COVID-19 have posed a threat— pushing farmers to opt for barter trade.

HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) — A drought prone region, established irrigation schemes to ensure farming products would feed and sustain communities. However, Hwange farmers have been left counting losses after the COVID-19 induced travel restriction barred them from accessing markets to sell their produce.

The farmers mainly from Cheziya and Makwa irrigation schemes are left with no choice but to barter trade their farm produce with basic commodities.

Sarudzani Moyo wakes up during the wee hours of the day to package her sugar beans into small packs of about 100 grams, she braves the scorching sun of Hwange as she walks to Hwange town where she will barter trade her sugar beans with basic commodities.

Last year, farmers from the Makwa irrigation project managed to grow sugar beans, targeting the Victoria falls and Hwange market but the COVID -19 pandemic disturbed their business plan.

Villagers who are farmers in these irrigation projects say the schemes had become a source of livelihoods as they were realizing financial benefits from the farming activities. Makwa and Chezya irrigation schemes are 30 meters away from the Zambezi River hence there is adequate supply of water for the farming project.

200 small-scale farmers operate in these irrigation schemes where they produce maize, beans, tomatoes, carrots and beetroot all year around.

For Never Tshuma, the irrigation schemes have benefitted him in several ways. Since their establishment he has been able to raise enough to take care of family needs both nutritionally and financially.

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Tshuma and others have faced challenges with doing business as usual owing to travel restrictions induced by the pandemic.

“In April this year, I harvested more than three 100 litre drums of sugar beans, with the hope of selling the produce in Hwange town, but I could not sell anything due to the travel restrictions.”
Never Tshuma, a farmer

Farmers are now trading produce for basic goods. Image by LSE Centre for Africa

Farmers are now trading produce for basic goods.

“I am only left with half a drum; the rest I have been bartering. A cup of sugar beans in exchange for a bar of soap and two cups of sugar beans in exchange for 2 kgs of sugar,” says Thabani Shoko, another farmer from the Makwa irrigation scheme.

Meanwhile, farmers have revealed that during the COVID-19 national induced lockdown, most stakeholders from Hwange preferred to buy farm products from Harare yet the Hwange farmers also have the capacity to produce the same farm produce.

The farmers have appealed to the responsible authorities and government to create some sort of partnership with them in order to source a reliable market and shun barter trading.

Peter Ncube, former Matabeleland North Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) chairperson who is also a farmer at Makwa irrigation scheme says the Hwange farmers need assistance in marketing their farm products.

“Most local supermarkets from both Hwange and Victoria falls buy their farm produce in Harare or Marondera yet we have farming activities with readily available farm products here in Hwange,” he says.

Ncube says the challenge is that there is no coordination between the Hwange farmers and the market.

“The effects of COVID-19 pandemic have made us realise that as Hwange farmers we are alone. There is a huge gap which needs to be filled to create good business relations with our clients.”
Peter Ncube, a farmer and former ZFU chairperson

He challenged hospitals, local mining companies and hotels to consider Hwange farmers rather than opting for farm products from 700 kilometers away.

Hwange boasts of five irrigation schemes, which were set with a goal to integrate food, income and nutrition while promoting food security in the district. Although the small-scale farmers produce their yields, access to big and reliable markets is still a big challenge for the farmers.

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