Horticultural crop production and marketing among smallholders in Zimbabwe (original) (raw)
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Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 1996
The growing of crops on open and undeveloped spaces within urban zones in eastern and southern African cities has become an important source of food security. Urban populations have expanded without a corresponding increase in economic opportunities for employment. Economic reforms have led to the removal of subsidies on food commodities and retrenchments in the formal employment sectors. It is reported that a result of this is that vulnerable households have resorted to urban agriculture to sustain their livelihoods. Though a widespread practice, urban agriculture is not planned for or supported by urban planners and managers as a legitimate form of urban land use in Harare, Zimbabwe. As women are the main participants in urban agriculture, their activities come into direct conflict with planning provisions for urban space. This study examines the role of women in urban agriculture and views and perceptions of the use of urban space for agricultural activities in Harare. It shows that urban agriculture is useful in meeting household food needs by those who undertake it. The study offers empirical insight on the perceptions of the use of space in an urban tropical environment for agriculture, where conflicts can arise as a result of different perceptions and alternative uses.
IJARW, 2020
This paper explores the role of women in agricultural development and their setbacks in Sanyati district. A simple random sampling method was applied to select five villages from Sanyati and 50 women (smallholder farmers). Then, the in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain information from women on the socioeconomic characteristics, land use activities, farm production and challenges they face. A qualitative analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The findings of the research also showed that women are included in mostly farming activities from land preparation to harvesting, processing and marketing of produce. They are involved in growing various crops, rear animals and keep poultry. The land tenure system and the concept of headship in Zimbabwe have always considered men to be the head and land is allocated to the head of the family, presumed to be male. Hence, women's access to land is limited. The study noted that female-headed households found it challenging to own land, their access and rights to land and credit facilities are always not easy and has fewer labour resources. Since women contribute immensely to food production, processing and preservation of food, spirited commitment and dedication should be devoted on addressing challenges because women are the backbone and engine of agricultural development and food security in Sanyati district and Zimbabwe as a whole.
Economic Anthropology eJournal, 2013
The study seeks to establish why some smallholder horticultural famers in Chihota communal areas market their produce in communal markets which are known to generate less revenue for any given quality and quantity of produce than urban formal markets. It uses primary data collected from 119 farming households randomly selected from four villages that were selected on the basis of horticultural intensity. MLE technique through logit analysis is used to establish the determinants of smallholder horticultural farmers’ exclusion from formal urban markets. The results show that while diversification and household size reduces participation in urban markets, having own transport, input use, land size, age of the household head and access to information increase farmer participation in urban markets. Policy to improve SHFs participation should thus increase specialization, transport availability, input use and information access to SHFs.
Greener Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
We carried out a market assessment to understand horticulture market dynamics around Mutare City, eastern Zimbabwe. We used the value chain development approach of starting from understanding what the market wants then using information gathered to inform producers of horticultural produce. This approach is underpinned by market-led production concept. Our study results highlighted opportunities for the participation of smallholder farmers in the horticulture sub-sector value chain; it provides horticulture market intelligence to smallholder farmers as to which crops to grow, when and for which market niche. There are opportunities for smallholder farmers to fill the identified horticultural produce demand gap around Mutare City, eastern Zimbabwe. Smallholder farmers could capitalize on the opportunity of horticulture produce scarcity that exists across Mutare City, so as to engage in market-led horticulture production. Our study contributes to a knowledge base of horticulture value chain development around Mutare City, eastern Zimbabwe and related areas aimed at economic development and peri-urban and urban household poverty reduction, which involves addressing the major constraints and opportunities faced between farmers and traders at marketing systems along the given horticultural value chain.
Small- and Medium-Scale Production and Marketing of Processed Fruits and Vegetables in Zimbabwe
UNISWA Journal of Agriculture, 2015
A study was conducted to investigate the constraints and prospects of small-scale production and marketing of processed fruits and vegetables in the eastern districts of Zimbabwe. A sample of 26 small-scale horticultural producers/ processors was randomly selected during the land reform exercise involving in-depth interviews to gain insight of the requirements for small-scale enterprises to effectively produce and market processed fruits and vegetables. The results showed that small-scale food enterprises were mainly engaged in the production of dried fruits, vegetables, and fruit jams. The growers are encountering technical, financial, infrastructural, institutional, social and information gaps as constraints. It was revealed that fruit and vegetable production declined sharply during the land reform transitional period. Food processing was hindered by lack of training, high prices of basic ingredients, lack of appropriate processing equipment and shortages of packaging material. P...
Challenges Facing Women Vegetable Vendors in Arusha, Tanzania: A Case of the Tengeru Market
Asian journal of education and social studies, 2023
The study aimed to analyse the challenges that women vegetable vendors face in Arusha, Tanzania, with a focus on Tengeru market. A cross-sectional research design was adopted in this study. A case study, as opposed to a broad statistical survey, focuses on a specific circumstance. It refers to the process of getting an understanding of a topic without including the entire population. The survey's findings showed that the majority of respondents were female due to the nature of the study, were in their 21s to 25s, and had only completed primary education. The study's findings again showed that the majority of respondents sold vegetables in their local community markets to generate revenue. Also, the majority of these people were participating in vegetable vending activities due to persuasion from their families, spouses, local government officials, societal seminars, and other groups. Furthermore, it was found that a few individuals claimed that the income they were generating from their activities was insufficient to satisfy their households' requirements or other socioeconomic activities. The study discovered that vegetable vendors faced numerous challenges, including a lack of assistance from the government or their families, a lack of confidence, a lack of skills and knowledge, and work interruptions due to violence against women. According to the study, the government should assist them by providing loans, enacting laws and regulations, raising awareness, and developing useful materials.
2012
This is a journal article,This research explores the contribution, which is made by women to food security and livelihoods of families in the city of Bulawayo through urban agriculture. Women constitute the marginalised group in human society and their contribution to the society and well-being is slowly being realised as evidenced by campaigns to put them in positions of power. Rapid urbanization in Zimbabwe coupled with the economic crisis, which rocked the country between 2000 and 2012 had resulted in unemployment, which in turn created poverty and food shortages. In this research, primary data was collected through observations and interviews from people who practice urban agriculture in the city of Bulawayo. Interviews of key informants were carried out with the Bulawayo City Council staff members, government officials and other stakeholders who are concerned with the practice of urban agriculture in the city. Random and purposive sampling procedures were chosen to select resid...
2075
I, Evelyn Derera declare that i. The research reported in this thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original research. ii. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. iii. This thesis does not contain other persons' data, pictures, graphs or other information, unless specifically acknowledged as being from other persons. iv. This thesis does not contain other persons' writing, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted, then: a. their words have been rewritten but the general information attributed to them has been referenced; b. where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside quotation marks, and referenced. v. This thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the thesis and in the References section.
2017
This refers to when women and men have equal conditions for realising their full human rights and for contributing to, and benefiting from economic, social, cultural and political development. It is the equal valuing by society of the similarities and differences of men and women, and the roles they play. Gender equality starts with equal valuing of girls and boys and upholding their basic human rights (World Bank, 2001). 1.5.5 Gender inequality This refers to the unequal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys in all sectors, political, social, legal and economic (DFID Gender and Social Exclusion Policy, 2012). 1.5.6 Reproductive roles (familial) These are those roles which include attending to family matters, taking care of its members, safeguarding their health, giving birth (Moser, 1986). 1.5.7 Productive roles This refers to work related to producing goods, services, and trade (agriculture, employment, free enterprise) (Moser, 1986).