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Elton Manguwo

WITH no end in sight to the prevailing hot temperatures, fresh produce farmers have called on the Harare City Council to develop proper storage infrastructure at Mbare Musika Market saying they were recording serious daily losses.

“It is high time that Mbare Musika be remodelled and upgraded to suit the demands of modern markets and to match the produce deliveries with the available handling infrastructure,” Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary-general Mr Paul Zakariya said.

The bulk of farmers sell at Mbare Musika with 80 percent of commodities ranging from 200 tonnes of tomatoes and 400 tonnes of potatoes being sold daily hence the need to develop cold chain technologies to reduce post-harvest losses.

Mr Zakariya added: “There is also questionable hygiene at Mbare because of poor infrastructure. On that account the need to restructure the market by copying the Jo’burg market that ensures good, healthy and quality produce for buyers while safeguarding the interests of farmers.”

More so, as the Government aims to upgrade the horticulture industry into a billion-dollar one by 2025 through the Presidential Horticulture Scheme benefiting 1,8 million households, it is essential to fast-track investing in a well-equipped and functional market to match the production levels and safe storage requirements. 

Additionally, high post-harvest losses discourage small-scale farmers from venturing into intensive commercial production of perishable horticultural crops due to the current challenges being witnessed at Mbare Musika.

Knowledge Transfer Africa chief executive officer Mr Charles Dhewa, whose smart agricultural technology company monitors and captures market trends across the country, highlighted that 60 percent of the country’s population was producing agricultural commodities and with the sector experiencing growth there was need to improve on handling to curb rising food losses. 

“There is need for a fully-fledged department that deals with handling, sorting and grading,” Mr Dhewa said adding that there were losses being witnessed at Mbare Musika, which could be avoided.

Furthermore, more than 100 commodities are produced in Zimbabwe in different volumes, but some of them are no longer being delivered to the Mbare Musika because of the absence of proper storage space and poor market infrastructure although it boasts good earnings for farmers.

Horticulture value chains of daily consumables such as tomatoes and onions, among others, need to be approached with a business mind-set to harness the full potential and revenue from the sector.

More often than not, when produce floods the markets farmers sell it cheaply while some even rot, as there is no storage space. This is threatening the pillars of food security and production.