Project News

The ZIM-SHEP team comprising of Head Office, Province and District Specialist and conducted Follow-up on target farmers' activities after market survey in October and November 2021.

The team visited all the target irrigation schemes in Mashonaland East and Manicaland Province, and interviewed (1) Agricultural Extension Officers and their Supervisors, (2) target farmer representatives who participated in the market survey exercise organized by the project, and (3) the other farmers in the target irrigation schemes. The team interviewed them to probe the process they have been through at (a) Feedback meeting after market survey exercise organized by the project, (b) market survey conducted by the farmers themselves, (c) feedback meeting after their own market survey, (d) crop selection, and, (e) crop planting calendar making. These activities after market survey are essential steps to bring the market information collected during market survey into farmers' collective action as "Grow to Sell".

We also discovered some shortfalls in our previous activities, which helped us improving our future activities. One of the impressive comments by the target farmers was "We have never appreciated our extension officers' effort and facilitation this much before.". Our project activities seemed to help strengthening trust between farmers and extension officers.

Farmers talking about market survey they conducted

An extension officer explaining the process from market survey, crop selection to crop planting calendar making (1)

An extension officer explaining the process from market survey, crop selection to crop planting calendar making (2)

A HQ member asking details of how they conducted market survey

An Extension supervisor facilitating FGD with target scheme members