The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Farming Reporter
FARMERS stand to benefit through optimising the economic benefits which come through adding value to their various agricultural products, said officials.
Speaking at a three-day crop value addition workshop on Tuesday last week at Umguza district in Matabeleland North Province African Women’s Initiative in Developing Economies (Awide) Matabeleland South co-ordinator, Mrs Hilda Moyo said it was important for farmers to add value to agricultural products so as to increase their economic value and consumer appeal of the commodities.
The workshop was conducted by Awide in conjunction with the Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (Agritex). It began on Monday and saw farmers drawn from various parts of Umguza district being taught ways of preparing marmalade, tomato and melon jam, tomato and chilli sauce as well as dried chomolia, rape, tsunga, onion and cabbage.
“There is need for farmers to add value to their leafy vegetables including edible wild ones such as the blackjack which also boast of medicinal properties that cure a number of ailments through preparing “umfushwa”. Preparation of “umfushwa” has been there for sometime but inadequate knowledge of appropriate value-adding technologies coupled with poor infrastructure facilities has been its major challenge. For instance the drying of the vegetables is mostly unhygienic making it unfit for human consumption,” said Mrs Moyo.
Umfushwa (dried green leafy vegetables) is one of the traditional Zimbabwean dishes. It is normally an accompaniment for isitshwala and or some meat if one wishes. It is nutritious, providing one with high levels of iron and folic acid which are very important nutrients for the body.
Mrs Moyo also said enterprising individuals can harness edible wild fruits such as amarula to produce jam, cooking oil, instant drink and salad cream through extracting its nuts.
Umguza East Agritex extension officer, Mrs Siphiwe Ndebele said farmers in the event of low demand on the market can guard against losses through adding value to their produce.
“Farmers are mostly discouraged to embark on optimum crop production amid fears that the produce might end up flooding the market but they can always get value from it by preserving it instead of letting it rot,” said Mrs Ndebele.
Zimbabwe has a wide range of opportunities in value-added agricultural exports. These exist particularly in areas such as fruit juicing, oil expression, beef, fruit and vegetable canning as well as cotton and leather processing, among others. One of the major advantages of value addition is increased export earnings as products become more competitive on the international market.
Non-traditional agricultural crops such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, houseplants, foliage and spices, have higher market values compared to traditional export crops. Zimbabwe has the capacity and potential to resuscitate export of non-traditional high value agricultural goods.
