Online Reporter
Word From The Market
Tina Nleya
LAST WEEK we explored the Joburg Market model as a means of minimising post-harvest losses and creating a ready market for Zimbabwean farmers.
This week we want to look at value addition as a way of dealing with post-harvest losses and increasing the profitability of Zimbabwean farmers.
In this country, small-scale farmers have traditionally been used to producing raw crops and selling them in local markets with minimal transformation.
However, as consumer demand for convenient, ready-to-eat and value-added food rises both locally and regionally, value addition presents a powerful opportunity for these farmers to increase income, reduce waste, tap into new markets and move beyond mere commodity production.
For the thousands of small-scale growers who supply maize, horticultural products, oilseeds, fish and livestock, embracing value-added production could mark the difference between surviving and thriving.
There has been a significant increase in agricultural production as the country moves towards achieving a US$15,8 billion agricultural economy by 2030.
Agriculture already underpins Zimbabwe’s economy.
The sector supports more than 60 percent of livelihoods and contributes 15-18 percent to gross domestic product.
Despite this central role, the country’s export basket remains heavily reliant on raw, unprocessed commodities, limiting the value that farmers earn and exposing them to global price fluctuations.
As the country pushes for a more modern, competitive agricultural economy, one solution stands out as a powerful catalyst for transformation — value addition.
This term refers to any process that turns a raw commodity into a product with greater market value.
This could be as simple as drying mangoes, grinding millet into flour, pressing sunflower seeds into oil, packaging vegetables or filleting and smoking fish.
In a world where consumers increasingly prefer convenient, ready-to-use foods, this shift represents a massive opportunity for Zimbabwe’s small-scale farmers.
I know the term “value addition” might create the impression that expensive machinery is required. However, value addition can be as simple as selling peeled and chopped sugarcane.
Across Africa and globally, demand for value-added food products continues to rise, driven by urbanisation, changing diets and the growth of modern retail chains.
African urban consumers are buying more frozen vegetables, pre-cut produce, dried snacks, processed meats and ready-to-cook fish than ever before.
For Zimbabwe, the timing is perfect.
With an increasing number of the population now living in urban areas, the domestic appetite for convenient and well-packaged foods is expanding rapidly.
This trend will only strengthen as incomes rise.
The regional market tells the same story. Countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria have witnessed explosive growth in their agro-processing sectors over the past decade.
Nigeria’s fish processing industry alone has grown steadily in response to increasing retail demand for smoked, dried and frozen fish products.
South Africa’s fruit-drying and juicing industries have captured export markets across Europe and the Middle East.
According to an article published by Fresh Fruit Plaza, demand for potatoes has shifted to processed forms.
Trade in frozen products has expanded since 2019, while many countries report flatter or slightly lower per-capita fresh consumption.
In the United States, the total consumption of fresh potatoes per person has dropped by about 20 pounds compared with the early 2000s, with processed forms taking a larger share.
In emerging markets, population growth and urbanisation are driving demand for value-added foods across quick service restaurants (QSRs), retail freezer aisles and snack channels.
Global frozen chip exports increased in value between 2019 and 2024, and new suppliers are entering Asian markets as demand rises.
Fresh consumption is shifting towards processed, chilled, dehydrated or par-fried products.
The article further goes on to say that in retail, the fastest growth within fresh produce comes from small and baby potato lines, which scale on uniformity and short cook times.
Pre-packed, microwaveable and steam-in-bag formats support smaller households and faster meal preparation.
In simple terms, the urban community is increasingly looking for foods that take less time to prepare.
Why small-scale farmers should embrace value addition
1. Higher incomes
Processed or semi-processed products command higher prices. A kilogramme of raw tomatoes may fetch very little in the peak season, often causing farmers to lose produce. Yet sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste or dehydrated vegetables sell at several times the farm-gate price.
2. Reduced post-harvest losses
Zimbabwe loses up to 30 percent of fresh produce annually due to inadequate cold chains and oversupply during peak harvest. Value addition remedies this challenge. Drying, freezing or smoking surplus produce helps farmers avoid waste and maintain income.
3. Access to new markets
Supermarkets, restaurants and regional markets require consistent quality, packaging and shelf life, all achievable through value addition. Farmers who process even partially are more likely to enter formal markets.
4. Year-round income
Value-added products are not perishable. They extend the sales window and keep income flowing even during off-season periods.
5. Increased bargaining power
Raw produce often leaves farmers at the mercy of middlemen. Value-added products give them leverage as they are not compelled to accept standing market prices.
The Government of Zimbabwe has shown full support for value addition within the agriculture sector.
The recently launched Agricultural Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 emphasises value addition, export readiness and agro-processing infrastructure as key components of agricultural transformation.
According to 2025 manufacturing policy updates, food-processing sub-sectors were operating at 69 percent capacity utilisation, a figure significantly higher than other manufacturing sub-sectors. This underscores the Government’s orientation towards agro-processing growth.
The Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) is committed to working with farmers and development partners to grow the sector through value addition.
Ultimately, value addition is a game-changer.
It allows small-scale farmers in Zimbabwe to transform from commodity producers to value chain participants, unlocking higher incomes, reducing risk and addressing seasonal oversupply.
With supportive policy, targeted investment, aggregation models and market awareness, the country can shift from exporting raw materials to exporting finished, branded, value-added food products.
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.
