This document discusses a program in Zimbabwe that aims to integrate smallholder farmers into markets through the use of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques. The program works to improve yields, provide input and output support, build farmer capacity, and complement these efforts with extension and initial funding/credit systems. By improving agronomic practices and linking farmers to private sector partners, smallholders are able to commercialize production and generate income without large capital investments. The program currently works with 20,000 farmers and shows potential to significantly scale up and impact households, the rural economy, and productivity across the region.

1. Market Integration of Small Holder
Farmers through CA in Zimbabwe
Michael Jenrich, FAO ZW

2. Summary
 Smallholder farming in Africa is largely subsistence based
 Little or no market integration, few farmers generate
income (support for food security..)
 low yields (food insecurity)
 poverty and migration
 low investments (e. g. mechanization, irrigation, improved
inputs and credits)
 Many small holders’ lands holdings could be sufficient to
generate income, if utilized efficiently
 farmers are not able to increase production and productivity
 lack of access to markets, funding and adequate technical
support
 Involvement of private sector would be key for change
(input, output, capital), but does require productivity
increases as entry...

3. Background

4. Background
 Low productivity, farmers don’t make money
 Rural families do not see farming as a way to generate
income
 Governments support for agriculture, specially small
holders is low
 Private sector involvement is very limited, small holder
sector is “problematic” (small areas, low yields, poor
infrastructure, farmers not organized, insecure
tenure, no credit, poor track record...)
 Result: →even less money and migration
(poor old weak and uneducated stay behind)

5. Limiting factors
 Funds, credits, collateral
 Low yields, poor farming practice
 Inputs
 Markets
 Farmers’ organizational set up
 Bad track record
 Infrastructure
 Tenure

6. Interventions
 Improve yield levels swiftly and sustainably and
without major capital investments.
 Integrate farmers into input and output markets
 Support farmers to organize
 Complement with extension and training
 Initial funding and credit systems

7. Support Activities
 Improved land and crop management (CA+)
 Input and Output Support (Contract
Growing, including initial funding)
 Community and Farmer Capacity Building
 Part funding

8. Improved land and crop management
(CA +)
 CA is central, provides quick & reliable way to
increase and stabilize yields without capital
investments
 Farmers are achieving higher production levels
and production security, which is attracting
private sector
 Improved productivity opens opportunities to
participate in markets and generating on farm
incomes

10. Improved Agronomy, builds confidence
CA, (backed by strong extension, IPM, etc).
 Precise & Timely (planting holes), increasing yield
potentials significantly
 Inputs (lime, fertilizer, manure) used efficiently
(concentrate in planting basins)
 Reducing costs
 Farmers can do the land preparation in the dry
(winter, off season)
Land preparation by hand maybe seen as a step backwards, but it
gives resource poor farmers an opportunity to do land preparation
timely and precise and establish crops well...
 Timely and precise operations through CA is giving
private sector confidence to invest

11. Complementing activities
 Initial input support, based on market
agreement
 Capacity building, in cooperation with farmers
unions
 Monitoring & arbitration (if needed)
 Credits (inputs or bank guarantee) for private
sector
 Weather insurance
 CA machinery development and contracting
 Plant protection and fertilizer contractors

12. Ongoing
 Link private sector to farmers (this season
20.000 farmers, Ø 1ha each)
 Support –and supervise- contract growing
agreements
 Integrate relevant stake holders (farmers, private
sector, farmers unions, government and donors)
 Lobby for role out...... (policy & private sector)

13. Crops
 Maize, Sorghum
 Paprika, Chilly
 Seed
(Cowpea, Sorghum, Groundnu
ts, OPV maize, Beans)
 Cotton
 Tobacco
 Plantation
(Tea, Coffee, Bananas)
 Soya, Cowpea
 Livestock

14. Impacts
 Currently 20.000 farmers (12 companies >
20.000ha, requests for 50.000 farmers)
 Significant impact on HH and economy
 Funds goes to and circulates in rural areas
 Indirect income (weeding at $ 5/day in
plantation areas)
 Potential for huge scale up in region

15. Lessons
 Some small holders can and will commercialize
if supported appropriately (change of
agronomy & mind set)
 Many small holders can generate sufficient
income from their farms
 Private sector could facilitate the utilization of
the vast potential of small holder agriculture
 Farmers, private sector and economy benefit
 Inputs, credits, tenure security, extension
systems need to be improved parallel

16. Conclusion
 Through CA small holder farmers can improve
productivity, link to private sector and
commercialize swiftly and without major capital
investment
 Given the vast potential of South Eastern
Africa, CA in combination with market linkages
can unlock huge farming potentials in the region
 CA could be part of the key to increase very low
yields and productivity in the region...