The Sunday Mail
Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
Youth Buzz
The Mutoko Royal Fruit and Vegetable Hub was commissioned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in October last year with a view to providing a market for horticultural produce from local communities.
The hub is co-owned by local farmers, the Tabudirira Vocational Training Centre and the Youth Fund, which falls under the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
The overarching goal of the initiative is to ensure youths reap dividends from the investment. Before the hub was established, farmers incurred high costs to deliver their produce to Mbare Musika in Harare. They also suffered massive post-harvest losses.
Farmers from Mutoko, Murewa, Macheke and Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe were often forced to discard produce that did not meet the required standards.
Youth employment
The budding enterprise has taken on board youths, who now occupy managerial positions in marketing and quality control, among other fields. In addition, the hub provides a guaranteed market for young farmers’ produce at competitive prices.
Through contract farming and having a guaranteed market, young farmers are now able to meet specific needs of the market without incurring unnecessary losses.
Currently, 60 percent of the hub’s suppliers are young people with small pieces of land.
Previously, selling their produce in far-flung markets was expensive and ate into their profits.
Today, most of them only need to walk to the hub to deliver their produce at minimum cost.
As the enterprise slowly grows, it is targeting to draw in 3 000 youths throughout the value chain, from production to processing and marketing.
“When we expand, we are going to employ merchandisers, marketing officers, drivers and food handlers on a 24-hour shift, and we will take the produce from the farmers, which will definitely create employment,” said Mr Lloyd Marime, the hub’s managing director.
Value addition
In the past, farmers in the Mutoko Royal catchment area would throw away excess produce such as tomatoes and carrots because of their failure to engage in value addition.
The hub is now providing a platform for value addition. A tomato processing plant has now been set up. In addition, carrots that fail to meet market standards are being dried using high-tech equipment. The dried carrots are sliced and packed for export or sale to local companies.
Research established that some local companies were importing carrot juice, and the hub is now striving to supply these enterprises.
“This hub really helps those who do not have markets or face challenges with continuous price changes, so we cut post-harvest losses,” said Mr Daniel Kaitano, the quality control supervisor who is aged 25.
Branding
The Mutoko Royal Fruit and Vegetable Hub is working towards acquiring certification for its entire value chain.
There are efforts to come up with a competitive brand.
This will ensure products from the hub can compete in established supermarkets such as TM Pick n Pay, OK and Bon Marche.
“I am one of the youths who was targeted for empowerment by this hub to improve my well-being as a young person. I would like to inspire other youths. I know how produce at this hub is grown, handled and dispatched to markets,” said 24-year-old Mr Irvine Chifewe, who is the hub’s marketing officer.
Collateral
Prior to the establishment of the hub, farmers’ enterprises were not properly registered, making it difficult for them to access loans from banks.
This is now a thing of the past because the hub is handing farmers proof of trade, which can be used when dealing with microfinance institutions.
Future prospects
Of the 30 farmers who supply the hub with produce, 16 are women, making the enterprise a good case for women empowerment.
“This hub has provided an opportunity for youth and women empowerment in the farming business. I encourage them to rise up to the challenge,” said Ms Grace Ganye, who is the buyer at Mutoko Royal.
◆ If you know of any trailblazing youth email: [email protected]
