Project News

The ZIM-SHEP team conducted SHEP Training of Trainers (ToT) in Mashonaland West province in August and Masvingo province in September 2022. A total of 15 agriculture officers per province took part in the exercise. Participants included provincial, district, Agricultural Extension Supervisors (AES) and Agriculture Extension Officers (AEO).

The SHEP ToT is an intensive three-day program consisting of a series of lectures and practical exercises. The participatory training gives extension officers hands on knowledge and skills to implement SHEP approach activities in the field. Topics that were covered included the importance of record keeping, market survey, crop selection and crop calendar making.

When we talked about farm record keeping, the extension officers were challenged to keep records as to inspire their farmers to emulate the good practice. However, discussions showed that farmers are not keen to keep records because of lack knowledge and fear of discovering that they are making loses which demotivates them. In order to address this situation, we determined to teach farmers how to simply keep records and continue to encourage them to keep records towards "Farming as a Business".

Feedback from one of the AES said that "SHEP ToT was very fruitful, and the knowledge and technique which we learned will greatly benefit our farmers. The market survey exercise was particularly interesting as farmers always complain that there is no market. However, the market survey exercise made us realize that the market was full of specific demands of horticultural products and the problem was the lack of linkages between farmers and the market. Now, I am looking forward to farmers discovering this fact and be impressed when they conduct the market survey."

The next activity planned is the ZIM-SHEP's Participatory Baseline Survey to be conducted in each province.

A Group Work in Mash West

A Presentation in Mash West

A Market Survey Excersise in Masvingo

A Group Work in Masvingo