Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has rolled out market dialogue meetings which seek to catalyse direct and practical linkages between smallholder producers and the private sector.
The Innovation Platform (IP) dialogues, which are being conducted in research institutions, aim to promote inclusive, structured market systems by connecting climate-resilient smallholder farmers with input suppliers, commodity buyers, financial institutions and service providers.
The interactions are expected to unlock opportunities for contract farming, aggregation, input supply agreements and public-private partnerships.
Today’s dialogue meeting is being conducted at Esigodini Agricultural College in Matabeleland South province.
“The Climate Resilient Livelihoods (CRL) Project, being supported by the Government of Zimbabwe, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is convening a series of Innovation Platform (IP) Market Dialogue Workshops from 23 to 28 June 2025.
“The dialogues will offer a rare and strategic opportunity for smallholder farmers in southern Zimbabwe to directly engage with private sector actors, something traditionally beyond the reach of many rural producers. They will allow farmers to negotiate better prices, explore market opportunities, and engage in production agreements that support climate-smart, market-led agriculture,” said Mr Rungano Benza, CRL Project Manager.
Other research institutions that have been covered include Chisumbanje Research Station, Chiredzi Research Station and Makoholi Research Station. Tomorrow, the meeting will be held at Matopos Research Institute.
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Director for Markets and Trade in the Business Development, Markets and Trade Directorate, Mr Simba Mupodyi, said these dialogue platforms and engagements present immense opportunities for smallholder farmers, the private sector, and Government to co-create market-based solutions.
He said such collaborations are expected to foster strong partnerships capable of transforming subsistence farming into a more commercially oriented model. Market linkages, as well as market and trade development initiatives, will be used to solidify the partnerships being proposed.
@DubeMatutu
Very educative and informative