By Wallace Mawire
The European Union under the Team Europe cluster is planning to invest at least 207 million Euros to support two initiatives for Gender and Greener, Climate-Smart Agriculture from 2021 to 2027,according to Martin Zhou, EU Programmes Manager in Zimbabwe.
Zhou made the remarks at the recent handover ceremony of imported superior pig genetics to smallholder farmers at the Pig Industry Board (PIB) in Goromonzi, Arcturus on 26 October,2023 under the EU supported Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment (VALUE) Project.
‘’We are collaborating more closely than ever before, pooling the resources and expertise of the EU, its Member States, implementing agencies, the European Investment Bank, EU financial institutions, and like-minded partners. Our aim is to work together on areas of shared interest in a coordinated manner, creating a stronger, joint impact on the ground. The successful handover ceremony of this project is a great demonstration of what this collaboration can do,” Zhou said.
He added that the livestock sector support initiatives are a theme that resonates with the EU and its Member States.
According to Zhou, as part of the Team Europe Initiative on “Greener and Climate-Smart Agriculture,” the EU, along with Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, is aiding Zimbabwe’s transition towards greener, more sustainable and climate-smart agriculture.
Representing the EU at the handover ceremony, Zhou indicated that he was delighted on the results of the collective efforts by Zimbabwean pig producers supported under the EU-funded VALUE project.
‘’What is very encouraging is that the imported pigs were collectively purchased directly by smallholder farmers, showing their readiness to sustain the impact of the project by leading the “multiplier role”,Zhou said.
This kind of commitment marks a significant step in enhancing local access to pigs with improved traits such as growth rates, disease resistance, and meat quality – a noteworthy achievement in the project’s objectives.
The VALUE project, implemented by ActionAid International in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Services, focuses on efficient and environmentally sustainable pork and goat value chains, striving for improved productivity and quality-assured meat products.
The VALUE project is one of six crucial components of the EU-funded Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP), that has been working tirelessly to address gaps in Beef, Goat, Pork, Poultry, and Dairy value chains over the past five years. Recognizing the pivotal role of livestock in Zimbabwe, ZAGP aims to overcome challenges faced by farmers, including inefficiency, inadequate resources, non-competitive agri-business services, and limited investments.
The EU, a longstanding supporter of Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, has invested EUR 40 million in the ZAGP program to tackle these challenges since 2018, hand in hand with the Government of Zimbabwe.
Through a mix of interventions, the VALUE project has addressed several value chain constraints.
Zhou said that the setting up physical hubs like the “Goat Improvement Centres” was essential for the provision of primary business support services to goat farmers.
He said through the establishment of Goat Producer Business Associations and Pork Production Business Syndicates, the project was key in driving collective action along critical value chain nodes, from input procurement, production, and market supply.
