Speaking at a USAID-Zimbabwe Agricultural Income and Employment Development (Zim AIDE) project closeout in Lupane last week, United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton said helping smallholder farmers commercialise their activities would increase incomes and stamp out poverty.
He noted that besides their significant contribution, smallholder farmers had not received as much support in terms of inputs and training on pertinent issues like market surveys and increasing their yields.
However, partners like the USAID have initiated projects like the Tshongokwe Irrigation Scheme which has transformed the lives of the farmers who can now realise greater, quality yields and compete at the market with other farmers.
The Tshongokwe project has been running since 2010 and local farmers have actively participated in the project, supplying quality produce like butternuts, cabbages and rearing livestock.
Although the Zim-AIDE programme is ending, the US government has vowed to continue supporting the country and has promised to launch two more agricultural development programmes
