BY STEVE EPHRAEM
CALL for the recognition, support and protection of mass markets through which agroecology (AE) commodities are traded has intensified in Manicaland Province with Participatory Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe and Knowledge Transfer Africa (KTA) engaging provincial key stakeholders in a two-day workshop held in Mutare.
The workshop began yesterday (03 August) and shall end today (04 August). It’s attended by government departments, community based organisations that promote agroecology, farmers, market players and media.
Speaking during the workshop, Knowledge Transfer Africa’s Business Development Manager, Clever Mukove outlined that the workshop seeks to build home grown strategies for recognition, support and protection of agroecology mass markets.
“We seek to come out with tailor-made market-oriented capacity building, training and advisory services for commodity supply chain actors and supporting institutions for agroecologically grown food.
“Zimbabwe’s agriculture and economic development is anchored on rural districts and provinces food production, labour, knowledge and other natural resources. More than 90 percent of agricultural commodities are aggregated and distributed through provincial mass markets such as Sakubva, Dangamvura, Chikanga and Central Business District markets in Mutare and these markets have over the years increasingly become key drivers for agriculture and socio-economic development for the provinces,” he said.
Mr Mukove urged local councils to consider the promotion of agroecology mass markets through allocating devolution funds or council budgets towards the improvement of markets for traditional foods.