The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
THE Beef and Leather Value Chain (BLVC) Technical Assistance Project has trained 63 Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces on market access and linkages in a bid to eradicate poverty, achieve inclusive growth in beef and leather sub-sectors, and catalyse economic growth in the country.
The BLVC Technical Assistance (TA) project which was formed last year in May is being implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce with funding from the African Development Bank (AFDB) to the tune of $2 million.
Responding to questions from Sunday News Business, BLVC project co-ordinator Mr Peter Moorhouse said a total of 15 training sessions have been carried out to equip SMEs with the requisite knowledge on market access and linkages.
“To date 15 SMEs capacity development sessions have been conducted in Matabeleland North and Bulawayo. To that effect, 63 SMEs were identified to undergo the market access training and equipped with requisite skills for market entry in local, regional and international markets being trained by the Business Development Service Providers.
“The market access component is working towards securing sustainable local and export markets for Zimbabwean beef and leather products selected along the BLVC,” said Mr Moorhouse.
He added that trainers who trained the SMEs had undergone professional and sound training called training of trainers (TOT) and worked together with other important stakeholders.
“The TOT capacity development for market entry is carried out with the assistance of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce’s Project Implementation Unit. In addition, the experts worked in close collaboration with ZimTrade, a key market access support institution in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police — Anti Stock Theft Unit, The Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services and the Crops and Livestock Department,” he said.
He added: “The BDSPs then train SMEs comprising mostly rural cattle farmers, primary and secondary processors of beef and leather products such as cattle farmers (eg pen fattening), auctioneers, abattoirs, butchery operators, meat retail shops, tanners, leather manufacturers and leather products distributors including youths and women-led enterprises.”
Mr Moorhouse said due to market exposure some SMEs had attracted foreign clients and local markets.
“The ZBLVC project facilitated market exposure for five of the participating SMEs during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair which attracted potential buyers from China, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa. This exposure resulted in some of the target SMEs developing relationships with buyers in regional countries such as Botswana, South Africa and Zambia, and other SMEs, especially those in the leather sector secured business deals and contracts to supply Government institutions, individuals and local leather products retailers such as Edgars, Topics, Meikles, and Fazak,” said Mr Moorhouse.
He said his organisation was conducting exposure visits for farmers, youths and leather manufacturers to commercial feedlots, leather productions plants and other bigger manufacturers.
“There has been a visit to abattoirs like Mbokodo, Grills and Montana by cattle farmers and butchery operators. Also to tanneries such as Zambezi Tanneries and other SMEs such as Shoe Pack, Millennium and Good Hope Leather in Bulawayo to facilitate learning by potential hide collectors and struggling leather manufacturers.
“There were visits to Bata in Gweru and potential buyers of products in Harare by leather goods manufacturers, among other areas,” he said.
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