Theseus Mauruki Shambare
FARMERS have been urged to establish reliable markets and familiarise themselves with quality requirements before committing resources to crop production, as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of its agricultural sector amid growing climate-related production risks.
The call highlights the need to move beyond production-driven agriculture towards a market-oriented approach that links farmers’ investment decisions to consumer demand, quality specifications and opportunities in domestic and regional markets.
Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) director-general Cosmas Mukoyi said farmers and agricultural businesses needed to understand the requirements of their intended markets before starting production to avoid investing resources in commodities that might fail to meet buyers’ expectations.
“Before you start production, you must ensure that the market is there. You are saying, what kind of quality requirements or standards does this market require?” he said.
Mr Mukoyi said compliance with standards and certification requirements was essential in building consumer confidence, improving product competitiveness and enabling local producers to penetrate wider markets.
His remarks come as Zimbabwe prepares for the 2026/27 agricultural season amid forecasts of below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures associated with anticipated El Niño conditions, which could expose farmers, particularly smallholder producers, to increased production risks.
With climatic uncertainties threatening agricultural output, aligning production with market requirements could help farmers make more informed decisions about what to grow, the quantities to produce and the quality standards to observe.
Mr Mukoyi said opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could provide local producers with access to wider markets, but benefiting from these opportunities required adherence to recognised standards.
The emphasis on market-oriented production comes as agricultural researchers also call for stronger links between innovation and the practical needs of farmers.
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) principal scientist Christian Thierfelder said research must be conducted in farming communities and involve farmers if innovations were to address actual production challenges.
“Research does not help anybody if it is done on a station where nobody can access it. Research has to be done in farmers’ fields, with farmers,” he said.
Through farmer-led trials, researchers are promoting drought-tolerant crop varieties and conservation agriculture practices to help producers maintain output under increasingly variable climatic conditions.
However, Mr Thierfelder said the adoption of agricultural innovations depended on more than research, requiring supportive extension services, financing, markets, private sector participation and Government support.
World Food Programme (WFP) Zimbabwe Country Director Barbara Clemens said sustainable food security also depended on people’s ability to access and afford food, utilise it for good nutrition and maintain that access over time.
Speaking during the eighth episode of WFP’s Bites of Change podcast, which examined how science, standards and collaboration could transform Zimbabwe’s food systems, Ms Clemens said agricultural interventions needed to build on the strengths of existing institutions.
“We want to lean heavily on the comparative advantages of our partners on the ground. We don’t want to replicate what they do, but we want them to come to the forefront to build on their comparative advantage,” she said.
She warned against fragmented approaches, emphasising the importance of concentrating on collective outcomes rather than institutional interests.
“We need to focus on not building kingdoms,” she said.
The discussions underscore the importance of connecting agricultural production, research, quality assurance and market development under Government’s National Development Strategy 2, which prioritises agricultural transformation, food and nutrition security, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
As Zimbabwe prepares for another potentially challenging agricultural season, ensuring that farmers produce for identifiable markets while meeting required quality standards could be critical in turning agricultural investment into sustainable incomes and improved household food security.
