Zimbabwe’s pork producers embrace collective marketing for brighter future

ZIMBABWE – Pork producers in Zimbabwe are set to overcome marketing challenges through a groundbreaking initiative launched by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP).

The collective marketing strategy aims to empower farmers with enhanced market options and opportunities, potentially transforming the pork industry.

According to Mr Kevin Maenzanise, ZAGP’s communications and policy specialist, the collective marketing approach will involve collaboration among multiple pig producers who join forces to collectively market their products.

With support from the government, ZAGP has established goat and pig producer groups/associations across 20 districts, expanding services to farmers.

At the provincial level, the program has facilitated the creation of pig producers’ business syndicates in Mash East and West. These self-organizing groups offer value-added business services to members through collective strategies.

So far, ZAGP has positively impacted 1,097 pig producers through capacity-building training, technical and non-technical education, syndicate development, cooperative formation, information exchange platforms, policy advocacy, and more.

This includes initiatives such as collective actions, feed supply, vaccines, transportation, marketing support, and improved genetics.

Mr. Maenzanise highlighted that the collective marketing initiative aims to provide pig producers with numerous benefits, including increased market power, cost efficiency, market diversification, quality assurance, market intelligence, knowledge sharing, and industry representation.

By collaborating and harnessing the strength of smallholder collectives, pig producers can boost competitiveness, expand market opportunities, and ensure the industry’s long-term success.

This initiative will offer farmers access to reasonably priced, high-performing pig genetics through joint purchasing and transportation while also promoting the adoption of pig production standards and quality assurance protocols through localized training and information-sharing platforms.

Additionally, it will facilitate cost-effective transactions by aggregating produce and shared transportation to slaughter. This will encourage collaboration in investing in collective slaughter, cold storage, and marketing of pork and pork products in Harare and other markets at fair prices.

Mr. Maenzanise explained that the project’s overarching goal is to enhance production, organizational efficiency, and market competitiveness within the pork value chains along the Mash East and West production corridors, ultimately feeding into the Harare meat market.

The project also seeks to create a favourable agribusiness policy environment that enables smallholder farmers to operate more effectively and competitively.

By embracing this collective marketing approach, Zimbabwe’s pork producers are poised to unlock their full potential, improve livelihoods, and contribute to sustainable economic growth while ensuring the supply of safe, quality-assured pork products to consumers.

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