Sundaymail Editor
Tina Nleya
There is a saying that goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
Now, more than ever, there is need for collaboration among stakeholders across agricultural value chains.
From smallholder farmers to aggregators, processors, Government agencies and international buyers, every player has a crucial role to play in ensuring the agriculture sector thrives.
One of the most compelling examples of the power of collaboration is the chilli value chain, which has gained momentum through strategic partnerships involving Shumbatafari Agriculture, De Smit Food International, STAGRI Brands and the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA).
These partnerships are not just about growing and selling chillies; they are about transforming Zimbabwe’s agriculture by ensuring value addition, empowering farmers and positioning the country as a major player in global horticultural exports.
A milestone in chilli processing
In February 2024, local agribusiness firm Shumbatafari Agriculture secured a multi-million-dollar deal with Thailand-based De Smit Food International, a global leader in chilli paste production.
This agreement marked a significant milestone in the country’s agro-processing sector, paving the way for a structured large-scale chilli outgrower scheme.
Under the partnership, De Smit Food International has committed to establishing a processing plant in Zimbabwe to produce semi-processed chilli paste for export to Thailand.
The goal is to produce at least 5 000 tonnes of chilli annually, benefitting over 2 000 smallholder farmers.
By processing chillies locally before export, the project ensures that value addition takes place within Zimbabwe, creating employment opportunities and boosting export revenue.
AMA has been instrumental in facilitating this collaboration.
By promoting contract farming, AMA ensures that farmers have guaranteed markets, access to quality inputs and technical support.
This structured approach mitigates risks and enhances productivity, making agriculture a more viable and profitable venture.
Scaling up through inclusive aggregation
Another key player in Zimbabwe’s chilli industry is STAGRI Brands, an innovative agribusiness that is revolutionising agricultural value chains through inclusive aggregation.
The company integrates smallholder, medium- and large-scale commercial farmers into its supply network, impacting over 20 000 households annually.
STAGRI Brands is taking full advantage of Zimbabwe’s historical agricultural performance and positioning the country to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The company has already established trade links with Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and other markets in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. These partnerships are expanding market access for Zimbabwean farmers, ensuring that locally produced chillies reach high-value international buyers.
Through its offtake agreements, STAGRI Brands has secured orders amounting to more than 25 000 tonnes per year for both dry and wet chillies.
This level of demand translates to approximately 10 000 hectares of chilli fields, making the crop one of the most promising high-value exports in Zimbabwe.
As part of its 2025 expansion plan, STAGRI Brands is targeting 200 hectares of chilli production in April in Regions 4 and 5, as well as 800 hectares in Regions 1, 2 and 3.
The company collaborates with Government ministries, AMA and other stakeholders in a mutually beneficial way, contributing to key national programmes such as Vision 2030; the Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan; Rural Development 8.0; and the AfCFTA.
Empowering youth through agriculture
A standout initiative by STAGRI Brands is its youth-focused programme “Agriculture is So Cool”.
This initiative is aimed at encouraging young people to see farming as a lucrative career path.
By engaging youth business units, vocational training centres and individual young farmers, STAGRI Brands is fostering the next generation of agripreneurs who will drive Zimbabwe’s agricultural transformation.
Currently, the firm is working with the following:
Several vocational training centres and youth business units
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP)-supported irrigation schemes totalling 700 hectares
Provincial government committees in Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Masvingo, Manicaland, Midlands and Matabeleland South
The plan is to expand nationwide through a participatory planning approach, which ensures that farmers’ needs are assessed and addressed before onboarding them into outgrower schemes.
Value addition: The key to agricultural growth
Zimbabwe’s agriculture has long struggled with the exportation of raw produce rather than processed goods.
This practice results in lower returns, as unprocessed exports fetch significantly lower prices than value-added products.
The chilli value chain collaboration addresses this issue by ensuring that processing takes place before exportation.
Benefits of value addition include higher export earnings due to increased product value; more job opportunities across the production, processing and logistics sectors; reduced post-harvest losses, ensuring more food security; and stronger investment appeal for global agribusinesses.
By investing in processing plants and structured value chains, Zimbabwe can shift from being a raw commodity exporter to a high-value agricultural hub.
The future of collaboration in agriculture
The Shumbatafari-De Smit-STAGRI Brands collaboration is proof that strategic partnerships can reshape Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector.
These partnerships align with AMA’s long-term goal of promoting contract farming, expanding market access and improving farmer livelihoods.
Moving forward, there is a need for more public-private partnerships to scale up investment in agribusiness, Government support to fast-track regulatory approvals for new export markets and technology adoption to improve farm productivity and post-harvest handling.
Zimbabwe is well-positioned to be a leading player in the global horticultural market.
The success of this chilli project should serve as a blueprint for other agriculture sub-sectors — from grains to horticulture and livestock.
Collaboration is the foundation of a successful agricultural value chain.
The Shumbatafari chilli processing plant, STAGRI Brands’ aggregating model and AMA’s contract farming initiatives demonstrate how partnerships can transform farming communities, create jobs and increase national export revenue.
As Zimbabwe embraces more market-driven agricultural policies, it is essential that farmers, agribusinesses and policymakers continue working together.
The future of agriculture is built on collaboration. By uniting efforts, Zimbabwe can achieve food security, economic growth and global competitiveness.
Tina Nleya is AMA’s marketing and public relations manager. She can be contacted on email: [email protected]. Word From The Market is a column produced by AMA to promote market-driven production.
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