


































1  

 

 

Full Length Research Paper 

Agricultural Marketing's Contribution to Rural 
Farmers' Empowerment in Zimbabwe's Masvingo 

Province 

Farai1 and Chenjerai2* 

1Solusi University, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 
2Women's University in Africa (WUA), Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe 

 
 

 Accepted 4 February, 2025  

A more qualitative analysis of how agricultural marketing helps rural farmers in Masvingo province raise their 
standard of living is presented in this research. Four topics are the subject of the study: (1) key crops farmed; (2) 
produce markets now in existence; (3) organizations that assist farmers; and (4) difficulties farmers confront in 
producing, pricing, promoting, and transporting goods to lucrative markets. Using in-depth interviews and focus 
groups, information was obtained from 361 respondents, including farmers who specialize in the production of 
vegetables, small grain crops, groundnuts, and maize; extension agents; bursars of boarding schools, churches, 
and hospitals; and supermarket owners. The results show that vegetables, rapoko, millet, rapoko, and maize are 
farmed extensively; the main markets now consuming produce are supermarkets, boarding schools, hospitals, 
churches, and GMB; inputs supply, transportation, Farmers' pricing of agricultural products is impacted by a lack 
of market knowledge. The study comes to the conclusion that because rural farmers continue to use the 
conventional selling strategy, they lack market knowledge. The report suggests that the government provide 
training facilities to give farmers marketing skills and repair the roads. Additionally, it is necessary for rural 
farmers to set up their own marketing board, which will be in charge of locating markets and delivering produce 
straight to the intended consumers. 

Key words: Agricultural Marketing, Rural Farmers, Empowerment. 

 
INTRODUCTION 

 

 

 

 

 

African Journal of Agricultural Marketing ISSN: 2375-1061 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-009, February, 2025. Available 
online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 
 

http://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/


2  

The Food provision and security continue to be 

the largest issues facing many nations 

worldwide, including Zimbabwe. About 70% of 

Zimbabwe's 13 million inhabitants reside in rural 
areas, and the country has an agrarian economy. 

Additionally, it is asserted that rural farmers 

account for over 60% of the nation's agricultural 

output, despite the fact that they nevertheless 

endure extreme poverty. According to Rohrbach 

and Okwach (1997) and Selvaraju et al. (2004), 

low productivity and pervasive, long-term poverty 
are characteristics of small-scale, resource-

constrained farming systems. More than 2 million 

small-scale farmers from communal 

resettlements and small-scale commercial 

producers make up Zimbabwe's bimodal farming 

system, which also includes a minority of large-

scale commercial farmers. In contrast to small-
scale rural farmers who only produce and then 

struggle to find outlets for their agricultural 

produce, large-scale commercial farmers sell 

their produce to lucrative marketplaces. Produce 

from small-scale rural farmers is typically sold for 

less than the market price since the farming 

systems in rural regions are characterized by the 
use of organic fertilizers and retained seeds, 

which will result in crops of lower quality than 

those from commercial farms. 

 

1.1 Institutions that render assistance to farmers in 
Zimbabwe 

 
The government of Zimbabwe worked to boost 

agricultural output after gaining independence in 

1980, and numerous institutions were 

established to help the agricultural economy. 
The Grain Marketing Board (GMB), Agricultural 

Technical and Extension Services (Agritex), and 

the Farm Mechanization Department are just a 

few of the organizations that were established 

and given authority to promote agriculture. 

Agricultural productivity rose as a result of these 

institutions' greater assistance. However, 
farmers in rural areas continue to be 

disenfranchised when it comes to marketing 

agricultural commodities, even with the presence 

of the aforementioned institutions. Rural farmers 

are at a disadvantage because they lack or have 

incomplete knowledge of the markets, and the 

pricing of agricultural products are often set by 
the forces of supply and demand. Kanyenze 

(2011).Only GMB, one of the existing markets 

that purchases produce from rural farmers, does 

so at profitable pricing; nevertheless, due to 

payment delays, many farmers have turned to 

private traders who purchase at throw-away 

prices, leaving the rural farmers unable to cover 
their basic expenses.  

Furthermore, according to Shumba's (1993) 

research, rural farmers are labor-intensive and tend 

to grow a variety of crops on a single acre, such as 

maize, groundnuts, peas, and rapoko. They also 

tend to have tiny farms and make inadequate 
investments in farming inputs like hybrid seeds and 

organic fertilizers. Because they cannot afford 

inorganic fertilizers, these farmers rely too much on 

organic fertilizers, primarily cattle manure, which is 

typically applied in small amounts and whose 

quality is often unclear.  

 
Even their household needs are not met by the 

amount of food that the rural farmers produce. 

Where these farmers grow excess food Due to the 

lack of market knowledge, traders from towns and 

cities take advantage of farmers in rural areas by 

purchasing produce at discount prices to resell at 

profit, thus enriching themselves at the expense of 
farmers who remain in poverty. Infertile marginal 

soils and climate variability and change are two of 

the many issues that farmers face and that 

endanger their livelihoods (Altier and Koohfkan, 

2008). Like everyone else, small-scale farmers 

require revenue for a variety of reasons, such as 

covering their children's tuition, purchasing inputs 
like seed and fertilizer, and buying or renting 

additional agricultural equipment, among many 

other things. Although some of these farmers are 

able to produce excess food on their farms, the 

majority lack the necessary marketing abilities or 

even market knowledge to fully utilize this surplus. 

For rural farmers, particularly those in Masvingo, 
decisions about product selection, pricing, 

promotional mix, and distribution strategies are still 

unclear. This is because some rural farmers, in 

some situations, have never visited the larger cities 

and towns; as a result, they are unable to access 

marketplaces that could purchase their goods at 

profitable prices. Local consumers at growth sites 
and the numerous middlemen who come to buy 

produce at extremely low costs to resell at 

competitive prices are the primary sources of 

income for rural farmers.  

 

Even worse, most of these farmers, if not all of them, are unable 
to even make budgets or perform cost-benefit analyses to 
determine whether their farm businesses are viable, and as a 
result, they typically run at a loss most of the time. The fact that 
these communal farmers do not maintain farming records, such as 
farm size, inputs used, fertilizers applied, labor required for all 
farm activities, harvest amount for each crop, and revenue from 
crop sales, is another issue they face. The information listed 
above is crucial if rural farmers are to reconcile their expenses 
and income. In reality, among other issues, farmers in rural areas 
continue to face marginalization due to inadequate road systems, 
outdated communication systems, challenging access to major 
medical facilities, clinics, and educational institutions, a shortage 
of energy, and an excessive dependence on antiquated farming 
practices. The majority of small-scale farmers grow vegetables 



3  

and tomatoes, which are grown in a fragmented system as 
each family tries to produce enough to meet their basic needs. 
The country's largest cities and towns, including the large 
Mbare Musika in Harare, Kudzanai Msika in Gweru, Mucheke 
in Masvingo, and other urban markets, are where these 
agricultural items ultimately end up. Since all varieties of 
cereals and horticultural items from all across the country's 
districts eventually find their way to the Mbare Musika, it has 
developed into the commercial hub or nerve center for all of the 
nation's consumables. Zimbabwe's marketing system is typified 
by a large number of middlemen or agents that swarm into rural 
regions to purchase goods from farmers at extremely low 
prices, then resell it at competitive prices, leaving the farmers 
unable to cover their daily expenses. Market places like Farm 
and City, which sell agricultural products at competitive prices, 
were established by the colonial government primarily for 
commercial farmers. Therefore, this study makes the case that 
rural farmers are being marginalized by the current agricultural 
commodity marketing system since they still live in extreme 
poverty in spite of their efforts and financial investments in the 
industry. This study also describes the difficulties rural farmers 
encounter while trying to sell their produce to lucrative 
marketplaces. 

 
The Agricultural Marketing Concept 

The phrase "agricultural marketing" has 

numerous definitions. Agricultural marketing, 

according to the Indian National Commission on 

Agriculture, is a process that begins with the 

choice to produce a marketable farm product and 

encompasses all facets of the system's market 
structure, both institutional and functional, based 

on technical and financial factors. This includes 

pre- and post-harvest operations, as well as 

assembly, grading, storage, transportation, and 

distribution. However, according to the Indian 

Council of Agricultural Research, agricultural 

marketing consists of three primary tasks: (1) 
assembly, (2) processing, and (3) distribution. 

Farmers are expected to carry out significant 

tasks both before and after harvesting until the 

product eventually reaches the client location, 

according to a comparison of the two definitions 

above. The roles that farmers play in 

assembling, storing, transporting, and 
distributing commodities from the farms to the 

target customers are crucial to the successful 

marketing of agricultural products, according to 

the descriptions given above. According to these 

researchers, Zimbabwean rural farmers, 

especially those in Masvingo, continue to lag 

behind in agricultural marketing because they 
continue to use antiquated methods of assembly 

and traditional storage systems. For instance, 

farmers in rural Masvingo store cereals and 

groundnuts using what are known as "Chitata" 

and "Dura." Because of the inadequate 

ventilation in these storage systems, crops like 

groundnuts  

 

and maize can be impacted by moisture, which 

lowers the crop's quality and makes it less likely to 

sell at a high price. Researchers are eager to define 
"agricultural marketing" in this paper as a 

production system in which farmers use the 

marketing concept when making decisions about 

distribution, pricing, promotions, and products in 

order to satisfy the target customers' needs, wants, 

and preferences. The Indian Council of 

Agriculture's definition of "agricultural marketing" 
also exposes Zimbabwe's rural farmers, especially 

those in Masvingo, who merely grow, harvest, and 

sell produce with little to no value addition. For 

instance, farmers in Masvingo grow oil crops like 

sunflower and groundnuts, which are then 

processed into cooking oil and sold for high prices. 

However, because they lack the necessary milling 
equipment, they only sell the raw crops, which do 

not command high prices, keeping farmers in 

poverty despite their efforts in the agricultural 

sector. According to the definition of agricultural 

marketing, the traditional "selling approach" is the 

marketing strategy used by rural farmers in 

Masvingo Province. In this approach, farmers 
merely grow crops and seek out buyers to sell them 

to; as a result, they do not make much money and 

continue to live in poverty.  

 

Empowering rural farmers through Agricultural Marketing 
 

Research and agricultural development 

organizations and agencies used to be focused on 

creating plans to help smallholder farmers increase 

their food production. However, these days, there 
appears to be a change in emphasis, with 

organizations and researchers trying to figure out 

how to improve farmers' livelihoods, particularly 

those in rural areas, by finding lucrative markets for 

their produce. According to Smith (2001), rural 

development is a complex process that involves a 

network of actors and stakeholders that combine 
their resources to accomplish predetermined goals. 

To put it another way, Smith believes that different 

parties should work together to bring about rural 

development, which is the result of stakeholder 

cooperation. The government, rural farmers, 

transportation agencies, development organizations 

like the District Development Fund (DDF), Rural 
District Councils (RDCs), and buyers of agricultural 

products, such as local supermarkets, wholesalers, 

and national grain buyers like the Grain Marketing 

Board (GMB), are all stakeholders in Zimbabwe 

who can contribute to the development of rural 

areas. Although the government's primary 

responsibility is to develop rural areas, the current 
political and economic climate has severely limited 

its ability to upgrade infrastructure in these places. 

However, because the majority of businesses in all 



4  

sectors are having liquidity issues and are using 

less than 50% of their capacity, the private sector 

is unable to support the government through 

CSR initiatives.  
Additionally, Smith (2001) and Douthwaite et al. 

(2003) advocate for stakeholder cooperation to 

achieve development in rural communities. 

However, in Zimbabwe, capacity is a challenge 

because the aforementioned actors are facing 

resource constraints due to the current state of 

the economy, which is shattered. Infrastructural 
development is a problem not only in rural areas 

but even in major towns and cities, where roads 

are in poor condition with many potholes, making 

driving on these roads a nightmare for drivers. 

The rural farmers themselves are urged in this 

paper to establish collaborations and begin 

identifying the essential resources they require in 
order to build infrastructure in their communities. 

Additionally, we contend that rural farmers might 

benefit from the large number of non-

governmental organizations (NGOs) present in 

their communities and ask for help in repairing 

roads and bridges to increase access to market 

centers.  
 

 
Rural farmers' obstacles when it comes to 

marketing their produce Storage techniques 

 

According to a study done in India, many farmers confront the 
significant problem of their goods going bad and ultimately 
causing them to lose money due to inadequate or nonexistent 
storage. Farmers in rural Masvingo face the same problem as 
Indian farmers, who store their produce in antiquated 
warehouses with inadequate storage facilities, causing it to fast 
deteriorate and become unfit for human consumption. Farmers 
who grow vegetables, tomatoes, groundnuts, and maize are the 
most severely impacted; as a result, output is promptly sold 
after harvest to avoid the perishability risk. In this paper, we 
make the case that rural farmers should organize into 
cooperatives with ten or more members and raise funds to 
construct state-of-the-art storage facilities that will allow them to 
store goods for extended periods of time. This will allow them to 
sell their products at a profit when there are few competitors. 
After harvest, farmers in Masvingo province struggle to store 
their food. Maize and other crops are kept in rudimentary 
granaries called "Tsapi" or "Huze," where they are susceptible 
to rats, or "zvipfukuto" in colloquial terms, which has a 
significant negative impact on the grain's quality. Lack of 
contemporary storage facilities will cause the commodity to sell 
for poor grades and have a very low final price. Lack of 
adequate storage facilities also implies  
 
Farmers are compelled to sell produce at disposal rates in 
order to prevent value loss due to perishability since they are 
unable to stockpile the commodity for resale at competitive 
prices during the off-season. 

 

Transportation 
 
Despite being the oldest province in Zimbabwe's 

history of human settlement, Masvingo is among 

the least developed, particularly when it comes to 

road systems. The majority of roads, with the 

exception of the highway, are unpaved, which 

presents difficulties for farmers in rural areas 

because so few carriers use the dusty, uneven 
roads. Many farmers are forced to sell their produce 

to local purchasers who pay less than market rates 

because the few transporters that make the 

sacrifice to operate these routes demand prices 

that are out of their price range. Because 

agricultural products are inherently perishable, it is 

essential that distribution methods be quick, 
dependable, and effective in order for consumers to 

get produce in the right condition. Although 

purchasing organizations, such as the Grain 

Marketing Board, have set up collecting centers 

closer to the farmers, each farmer must have at 

least five tons of crops, such as maize, in order to 

be eligible to sell to them. Although farmers can 
combine their produce, there are issues with 

grading, wherein various farmers in the same group 

have produce that fetches different classes. This 

would cause issues with payment, which is why 

farmers are reluctant to establish such cooperative 

arrangements. 

 

Access to market information 

 

In Zimbabwe, rural farmers, especially those in Masvingo, face 
significant challenges in obtaining agricultural information. The 
typical sources of agricultural information in Zimbabwe include 
farm magazines, publicity news, and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting 
Corporation's Murimi waNahsi (Umlimi waNamhla), which 
primarily airs on Zimbabwe Television every Thursday at 7 p.m., 
with occasional appearances on the country's radio station, Radio 
Zimbabwe. Rural farmers have limited access to national 
agricultural information programs since they reside in isolated 
areas of the nation without electricity. In a similar study on the 
issues facing rural farmers in Nigeria The researchers discovered 
that rural farmers in Nsuka are largely illiterate and reside in 
isolated places with little access to information sources (Aina, 
2007). The aforementioned circumstance also applies to 
Zimbabwe, where the vast majority of rural farmers, particularly 
those in Masvingo, lack formal education and reside in isolated 
regions that are cut off from important agricultural knowledge 
sources like libraries. Rural farmers in Zimbabwe depend on 
conventional media, like radio. Print media, videos, images, 
presentations, television, movies, dance, folklore, group debates, 
gatherings, and demonstrations are all considered legitimate ways 
to spread agricultural knowledge, according to Munyua (2000). In 
contrast, Munyua cites other media that only benefit large-scale 
commercial farmers. In this paper, researchers contend that 
meetings, particularly those arranged by extension officers, 
newspapers, radio, folklore, village social gatherings, and 
agricultural shows, can benefit rural farmers in Masvingo. 



5  

Quality of produce 
 
Another important consideration, particularly for 

farmers in rural areas, is quality. The demand for 
the produce and the price the farmer can charge 

for it depend on its quality. Typically, agricultural 

products are graded, and the commodity's grade 

influences market competitiveness and demand. 

For instance, most rural farmers lack the 

necessary storage facilities for highly perishable 

commodities like apples, potatoes, rapoko, and 
maize. Since most rural farmers rely on retained 

seeds, which do not produce huge grains in the 

case of cereal items, the quality of produce from 

these farmers is lower than that of large-scale 

commercial farmers. Furthermore, many farmers 

may lack the necessary knowledge to follow 

guidelines, particularly when it comes to the use 
of chemicals, which can result in poor-quality 

produce due to either excessive or insufficient 

chemical application. Additionally, researchers 

contend that in order for Masvingo farmers to 

produce high-quality products, they must 

upgrade their storage facilities because the 

majority of them continue to use antiquated 
storage techniques. As a result, these farmers 

must organize into cooperatives in order to pool 

their resources and construct contemporary crop 

storage facilities. 

 

Packaging of agricultural products 

One of the things endangering rural farmers' 

ability to successfully market their produce is 

packaging. Particularly for rural farmers who are 

in dire need of agricultural produce protection, 

packaging is essential. In addition to 

safeguarding the contents, packaging is now 

utilized to improve product quality by preserving 
it from environmental factors and serving as a 

silent salesman. (1996) Van Der Walt. Despite 

the fact that packaging is crucial to the sale of 

agricultural products such cereal crops, oil crops, 

small grain crops, maize, and groundnuts, 

among others, the majority of Masvingo farmers 

cannot afford to purchase the 50 kg bags needed 
to transport these commodities.  

 

These farmers wind up utilizing whatever bags 

they can find to cover and make transportation 

easier, which degrades the quality of the 

products and causes the farmer to lose money 

because the crops will be sold for less. Clean 
plastic bags are necessary for fresh farm crops, 

such as tomatoes, to catch the customer's eye. 

Since tomatoes are particularly perishable, 

farmers in rural areas sell them using filthy 

carrying bags since they cannot afford the new 

plastic bags. This practice does not draw 

customers, and farmers suffer as a result.  

 

Research Methodology 

 

An interpretivist strategy was used to accomplish the goal of the 
study. Since the goal of the current study is to produce in-depth 
insights into how agricultural marketing contributes to the 
improvement of rural farmers' livelihoods in Masvingo, this 
approach was deemed appropriate. Saunders et al. (2007) were 
taken into consideration when choosing an interpretivist approach. 
They contend that since business and management involve both 
people and things, interpretivist arguments support the idea that 
subjective thoughts and ideas are valid because they see the 
world through the eyes of the people being studied, giving them 
multiple perspectives of reality as opposed to positivism's "one 
reality." The seven districts that make up Masvingo province are 
Zaka, Gutu, Bikita, Chiredzi, Chivi, and Mwenezi. Bikita, Gutu, and 
Zaka districts were selected from among these districts due to 
their superior agricultural yields in comparison to other districts in 
the province. Hospitals, boarding schools, supermarkets, 
extension agents, and rural farmers are all part of the population 
of interest. In addition to focus groups with farmers, data was 
gathered through interviews with store owners, bursars of 
boarding schools, hospitals, and churches, and extension officers. 
Because respondents come from a variety of backgrounds, 
stratified sampling was employed. The study employed a sample 
size of 361 at a 5% significance level, as determined by Morgan 
and Krejcie (1970). A total of 249 respondents, or 69.09% of the 
sample, took part in the focus groups and interviews. 
 
Findings 

 

Demographic characteristics of the target Sample 

 

Farmers of cereal crops (maize, sorghum, rapoko, and millet), oil 
crops (groundnuts and beans), and market gardeners from the 
three districts make up the respondents, along with agricultural 
extension officers, supermarket owners, bursars of boarding 
schools, churches, and hospitals. Due to their widespread 
cultivation in Masvingo, cereal and oil crops were selected. 
Farmers' educational attainment served as the foundation for 
stratification since it had an impact on the caliber of information 
exchanged between the respondents and the researcher. 67.28% 
of farmers have below-average education, whilst 32.72% have 
above-average education.This indicates that low-educated 
farmers dominate the agricultural sector in Masvingo province, 
suggesting that these farmers lack marketing and budgeting 
abilities. Bursars from hospitals, churches, and boarding schools 
have accounting degrees and are more knowledgeable about the 
subject matter. 

According to data from the provincial agricultural 

extension office, the province has a large number of 

farmers engaged in horticulture (vegetables), minor 

grains, groundnuts, and maize. An average of 407 
extension officers are assigned to the several 

stations spread across Masvingo's districts. 

Because the farmers and extension agents are 

dispersed, purposeful and convenient sampling 



6  

techniques were used. Because the respondents 

in the population come from a variety of farming 

backgrounds, stratified sampling was also 

employed. Stratification was based on 
production capacity, crop type, and educational 

attainment. Farmers with less than a basic 

education (below grade 7) were placed in the 

first stratum, those with an ordinary level of 

education were placed in the second stratum, 

and those with advanced to degree level 

education were placed in the third stratum. 
Convenience sampling was then used in each 

stratum. Interviews and focus groups with 

farmers, extension agents, bursars from 

boarding schools and hospitals, and 

supermarket owners near the growth points of 

the chosen districts were the primary methods 

used to collect data. The training workshops for 
farmers were held in the growth points of Nyika 

(Bikita), Mupandawana (Gutu), and Jerera 

(Zaka) in the three districts. Farmers participated 

in focus groups led by agricultural extension 

agents. Thus a more qualitative approach was 

adopted. The population of interest was as 

follows: 

 

Extension officers for the 3 districts = 363 

 

Number of vegetable farmers for the 3 districts = 3 600 
Number of maize farmers for the 3 districts = 1 884 
Number of groundnuts farmers for the 3 districts = 180 
Number of small grain farmers for the 3 districts = 120 
Number of bursars of boarding schools and Hospitals = 16 
Number of store owners at the growth points of the 3 districts = 15 
The total estimated population of research 

participants in the 3 districts is therefore 

estimated to be = 6 178. Using Krejcie and 

Morgan model at the 95% significance level, 
researchers drew a sample size 361 of which 

201 respondents participated in the interviews 

and 48 focus group discussions representing 

69.09% response rate. 

 
Findings 

 

The following findings were obtained from the interviews and 
focus group discussions. 

 

Common crops grown in the province 

 

The majority of respondents identified maize as 

the most widely planted crop in Masvingo 

province, with market gardening, groundnuts, 

round nuts, and maize being the main 

agricultural items mostly farmed by rural farmers 

in the province. According to reports, maize is 

the main crop planted in the area because it is 

easy to manage, requires little chemical 
application, and provides a staple diet. While it 

was discovered that beans were widely grown on a 

local scale in the districts of Gutu and Bikita, Zaka 

farmers were cited as stating, "We have gone for 

three consecutive years without notable acreage of 
beans." A farmer has no reason to keep cultivating 

a crop that brings in less money. We told our station 

extension officer that we were switching from 

producing beans to vegetables, which provide 

farmers with faster returns, and we were granted 

the all-clear. According to farmers, the district's 

output of beans stopped about three years ago 
because of difficulties with prices and delays in 

obtaining inputs. Given the province's unpredictable 

rainfall patterns and its location in region 3, which 

receives below-normal rainfall, extension officers 

mentioned maize, sorghum, millet, groundnuts, and 

cotton as lucrative agricultural products that farmers 

in the districts can grow because the soils are ideal 
for these crops. 

 
Current target markets for rural farmers in Masvingo province 

The main markets for rural farmers in Masvingo 

province are urban traders, the Grain Marketing 

Board (GMB), local village consumers, boarding 

schools, hospitals, and certain churches, according 

to the results of focus group talks. Urban traders are 

the main buyers of produce in their districts, 

according to almost all of the farmers who 
participated in the focus group discussions. Farmers 

are worried about these traders because they 

purchase produce at throwaway prices, which 

leaves them in poverty and makes it impossible for 

them to pay for daily farm operations. The farmers 

occasionally turn to barter exchange, where they 

trade a bucket of maize for a 2 kg packet of sugar, 
two bars of soap, or occasionally clothing. Local 

village customers were said to purchase at 

competitive prices, but the issue is that they only 

buy in small quantities. Farmers also agreed that 

the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) purchases grain 

at competitive prices, but the national grain buyer 

takes a long time to pay farmers, therefore farmers 
occasionally sell to urban dealers who purchase at 

a cheap price but on a cash basis. Although 

boarding schools, hospitals, and supermarkets were 

identified as lucrative marketplaces, these 

establishments only seldom purchase because they 

themselves produce some of the goods, such as 

vegetables and maize. Extension agents mentioned 
supermarkets and international markets as 

prospective profitable purchasers who, with the right 

marketing mechanism, may revolutionize rural 

farmers' livelihoods.  

 
Institutions currently assisting rural farmers in 

growing and marketing of agricultural products  

 

The institutions that support rural farmers in 



7  

cultivating and selling agricultural products were 

asked to be listed by the respondents. Although 

it was established that the Grain Marketing 

Board (GMB) assists farmers with inputs, it was 
noted that GMB support for inputs is typically 

delayed because distribution is governed by a 

political system in which local authorities and 

councilors affiliated with particular political 

parties typically obstruct the distribution, 

resulting in underprivileged individuals benefiting 

at the expense of worthy recipients. The majority 
of farmers identified Agritex as being crucial to 

their education; yet, obstacles including poor 

roads and a dearth of bridges were mentioned 

as impediments to Agritex's ability to conduct 

training and education initiatives with farmers. 

However, it was noted that few, if any, farmers in 

the province have profited from farm 
mechanization. Murimi Wanhasi and the Farm 

Mechanization Department were also recognized 

as helping the farmers. While Murimi wa nhasi is 

only known to farmers who have access to 

televisions, the majority of farmers stated that 

they are unaware of its function as a program for 

disseminating agricultural information. The 
majority of farmers are also unaware of the 

existence of the farm mechanization department. 

According to one farmer, "I believe that a 

significant obstacle keeping farmers from taking 

advantage of Murimi wa Nhasi is a lack of 

electricity because the program airs on 

Zimbabwe television every Thursday at 1900 
hours, and many farmers without television will 

miss the information." Although the majority of 

extension officers believe in Murimi waNhasi, 

they believe that in order for the majority of 

farmers to benefit from the program, it should be 

conducted in the afternoon on weekends like 

Saturday or Sunday. 

 
Challenges faced by farmers in growing and marketing of 
agricultural produce 
 
Research revealed a multiplicity of challenges 

that farmers encounter in the agricultural 

business. Chief among the challenges are the 

following: 

 
Challenges faced by farmers relating to production 
 
The main factors affecting production, according 

to farmers, are changes in the climate, a lack of 

arable land, poor rainfall distribution, and late 

input distribution from the GMB and other farmer 

assistance groups. According to the farmers, the 

difficulties have an impact on both the quantity 

and quality of produce, which means that goods 
won't sell for competitive pricing. Poor quality 

produce will be sold for less than its market value 

since the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is one 

market that uses a grading system when 

purchasing produce. Furthermore, the majority of 

extension staff stated that the main factors limiting 
production are farmers' ignorance and subpar 

farming methods. Additionally, it was discovered 

that the province's farmers continue to use 

antiquated, conventional agricultural practices, 

where they cultivate the same crops year after year 

without switching up their crop rotation, resulting in 

subpar yields that are sold for low rates and 
weakening the farmers' revenue streams. 

Furthermore, according to extension officers, the 

majority of farmers in the province continue to 

follow the "subsistence farming mindset," which 

involves growing crops without focusing on 

particular markets for the produce. As a result, 

these farmers are unable to dispose of their 
produce, so avaricious urban traders come and buy 

goods at below-market value with the intention of 

reselling them at high prices, leaving farmers in 

poverty. "Ignorance due to illiteracy is the disease 

affecting many farmers in this province as farmers 

just grow whatever crops they can and think of 

selling whenever they have a surplus," one 
extension official was reported as saying. 

Additionally, some farmers use "retained seeds," 

which produce lower yields than the new maize 

seeds. As a result, product grown from retained 

seeds has little value and will sell for little money. 

 
Challenges relating Distribution 
 

The biggest issue affecting the delivery of produce 

to the intended markets was identified as poor road 

networks, with the majority of the roads in the 

communal areas being dusty, uneven, without 

bridges, and in bad condition. The poor condition of 

the roads connecting to the highways, according to 
the extension officers, is driving away potential 

transporters. As a result, the few transporters who 

make the sacrifice to operate the routes charge 

exorbitant prices, which some farmers cannot 

afford. Additionally, some products lose value and 

are ultimately sold to local village buyers at low 

prices. Furthermore, the majority of farmers in the 
district are too dispersed, disorganized, and aloof, 

according to the extension staff, which makes it 

challenging for transporters to pick up food from 

them. As one farmer put it, "The spirit of 

individualism is reigning over co-operation among 

the farmers." As a result, each farmer will not be 

able to afford the cost of transportation to the 
closest market, which presents a serious problem 

because produce, such as vegetables, is perishable 

and will have to be sold at give-away prices. 

 
Challenges relating to pricing 
 



8  

The main issue facing rural farmers, according to 

both farmers and extension agents, is a lack of 

market knowledge, which results in products 

being sold at throwaway rates. The argument put 
forth for this difficulty is that farmers in rural 

regions, particularly in Masvingo, struggle with a 

shortage of energy and are still cut off from 

programs that offer them information and 

assistance. Murimi waNhasi was brought up 

during the conversation as a program for 

farmers, but rural farmers do not gain much from 
it because most of them do not own televisions, 

and those who do must rely on solar power 

because most of the province is still without 

electricity. Rural farmers are ignorant of the 

technical grading system used by the national 

markets such as the Grain Marketing Board 

(GMB) with a 3 tier grading system as follows: 
 

Grade A - (1st class fetching high price), 
Grade B  - 
(2nd claas 

fetching price 

below the 

super grade) 

Grade C - (3rd 

class fetching 

average 
price). 

 

Because they are unaware of the GMB grading 

system, farmers believe the national grain 

institution is defrauding them. As a result, they 

divert and sell to private traders who grade their 
products visually but purchase at low prices, 

making it difficult for these farmers to pay for 

their daily necessities. "It is unfair to us farmers 

when a low grade is given because the Grain 

Marketing Board uses sample inspection, where 

the inspector takes a bucket full of maize from a 

truckload and gives the same grade to the entire 
consignment," one responder stated. The 

centralized check processing system used by 

GMB is a challenge for rural farmers, as the 

checks take up to a month to mature. As a result, 

farmers lose patience and prefer to sell to private 

traders who pay instant cash but buy at low 

prices to resell at lucrative prices. This is true 
even though GMB has expanded its depots 

nationwide, with a presence in every district and 

every farmer within 45 kilometers of the nearest 

outlet. Another issue that rural farmers confront 

is that they are unable to meet the minimum 

quantity that each farmer must sell to the 

national institution, which forces them to sell to 
local dealers who purchase in little amounts. 

Additionally, respondents noted that the majority 

of farmers do not have bank accounts, which 

presents a significant obstacle because they will 

have to exchange their checks at local stores, 

where they will be penalized by having to pay at 

least 30% of the check's value. This is a painful 

experience for most farmers because store prices in 
communal areas are extremely high. Focus groups 

with farmers also showed that low-quality produce 

will result in low-grade production, which will lower 

the product's market value. During focus group 

discussions, farmers also mentioned competition, 

stating that farmers in the same district or area 

typically grow the same crops or vegetables. This 
leads to fierce competition, which forces some 

farmers to sell their produce at a discount because 

supply will exceed demand. Lack of storage 

facilities reportedly makes this scenario worse; as a 

result, farmers are unable to preserve produce for 

long after harvest, forcing them to sell their goods at 

discount prices. Finally, rural farmers are not well-
informed about all the variables influencing the 

price at which they sell their produce. 

 
Challenges relating to promoting agricultural products 

 

We asked farmers how they market their produce. 

Since farmers in rural areas still rely on word-of-

mouth to inform clients about the availability of 

produce, extension officers identified advertising as 

the largest obstacle facing these farmers. The 

researchers also observed that farmers use social 
events and gatherings, such as funerals, church 

meetings, political gatherings, and "beer parties," 

where the headman or deputy will announce the 

availability of produce, such as tomatoes, beans, 

and maize, to spread word of mouth 

communication. This approach was also found to 

work well for local consumers who might not be 
aware of the location, time, and ease of purchasing 

agricultural products in other markets, such as 

boarding schools, hospitals, and supermarkets. 

Extension officials also claimed that farmers are 

ignorant of contemporary product promotion 

strategies and cannot pay the price of 

communication instruments like television, radio, 
newspapers, and transportation advertising. To be 

honest, farmers have no idea how to raise 

awareness of their produce, according to one reply. 

Farmers are only familiar with conventional word-of-

mouth marketing, which is effective with village 

clients within a 15-kilometer radius. We extension 

agents need to do more to teach these farmers how 
to market their goods more effectively in order to 

boost sales. 

Conclusions and Recommendations 

As seen by pre- and post-harvest operations that are out of step 
with consumer expectations, wants, and preferences, farmers in 
rural areas are not embracing the idea of agricultural marketing. 
Due to rural farmers' reliance on the conventional selling 
technique, which does not allow customers to determine the 



9  

production, handling, and distribution of food, it may also be 
said that the current marketing system for crops cultivated in 
Masvingo province is defective. Researchers can also draw the 
conclusion that farmers are selling agricultural products at 
throwaway prices as a result of the abundance of middlemen. 
Farmers are unable to meet the minimum amount of food that 
each farmer must sell to the Grain Marketing Board if 
cooperative arrangements are not in place. Rural farmers don't 
have a marketing concept since they don't target certain 
customers like hospitals, churches, boarding schools, or 
supermarkets. As a result, they don't produce for these markets 
and only sell to a few of them when they have extra. In order to 
help rural farmers find lucrative markets for their produce, 
experts in this study suggest that Zimbabwean universities and 
colleges fulfill their corporate social responsibility by teaching 
them the fundamentals of marketing. Extension agents should 
step up their efforts to teach farmers post-harvest skills so they 
can add value to their produce, which will increase its market 
value and help farmers make more money. Government action 
is required to enhance rural roads and create an agricultural 
bank that caters to the needs of rural farmers in order to enable 
them to use mechanized farming systems to boost output. In 
order to boost output capacity and cover the costs of marketing 
to both domestic and foreign markets, experts advise farmers in 
this paper to establish voluntary cooperative partnerships. 
These cooperative agreements will improve resource and 
information sharing, which will increase production capacity. 
Rural farmers ought to set up their own marketing board, 
tasked with determining what items the markets require, 
developing pricing plans for various markets, running 
advertising campaigns, and finding lucrative markets for 
agricultural products. According to Gordon (2001), a company's 
efforts alone are no longer sufficient to meet today's business 
difficulties; instead, partnerships and collaboration are required. 
Furthermore, rural farmers must employ local district 
newspapers, banner advertising, determine neighborhood 
social events, and recruit instructors from nearby schools to 
help with product marketing. For rural farmers to get payment 
as soon as possible, the Grain Marketing Board should 
decentralize the check processing system to the provincial and 
district levels. In order to sell a value-added product at a 
competitive price, rural farmers need also be provided with the 
resources to turn their harvest into completed goods. 
Additionally, support for contemporary storage techniques will 
enhance the quality of the produce. 

 
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	A more qualitative analysis of how agricultural marketing helps rural farmers in Masvingo province raise their standard of living is presented in this research. Four topics are the subject of the study: (1) key crops farmed; (2) produce markets now in...
	INTRODUCTION
	1.1 Institutions that render assistance to farmers in Zimbabwe
	The Agricultural Marketing Concept
	Empowering rural farmers through Agricultural Marketing
	Transportation
	Access to market information
	Quality of produce
	Packaging of agricultural products
	Research Methodology
	Findings
	Findings (1)
	Common crops grown in the province
	Current target markets for rural farmers in Masvingo province
	Challenges faced by farmers in growing and marketing of agricultural produce
	Challenges faced by farmers relating to production
	Challenges relating Distribution
	Challenges relating to pricing
	Challenges relating to promoting agricultural products
	Conclusions and Recommendations
	References

