News / National
Mashonaland East Pork producers open retail and wholesale meat distribution centre
29 Apr 2022 at 06:38hrs | Views
The Mashonaland East Pork Producers Business Syndicate (MEPPBS), a group of farmers from four districts namely Goromonzi, Marondera, Seke, and Murehwa registered under the VALUE project formally registered as East Pork Producers Pvt Ltd, recently opened a Retail and Wholesale Meat Distribution Centre in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare.
This is revealed in the latest Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) newsletter report. The report states that the centre, which was set up with the financial assistance of the European Union through the smart subsidies matching grants initiative of the VALUE project, will facilitate direct marketing of pork and pork products from the members of the syndicate for both retail and wholesale customers.
"We are happy with the opening of the centre. The hustle of searching for markets and the ill-treatment and abuse by some butchery owners is over for the syndicate members. The centre is a game changer and will provide comfort to the farmers during the marketing phase," said Kennedy Dongo the Chairperson of the Mashonaland East Pork Producers Business Syndicate.
"The opening of the meat marketing centre is a positive step towards vertical integration of the small and medium scale producers along the value chain, the expectation is that this will result in an increase in the farmers' market share in Harare and surrounding areas. The farmers are also set to improve their profit margins through direct meat marketing," said Newton Chari, the VALUE project Team.
Indications are that measures to address issues of quality of products have been put in place and farmers participating in the marketing centre are bound by set production standards to ensure conformity with market expectations and standards.
The report states that the project is promoting a Fair Value Farm Branding which entails adherence to good agricultural practices and fair distribution of value generated along the value chain.
Other value chain players such as small and licensed independent butcheries operating in high density areas of Harare will benefit from the alternative and affordable avenue offered by the meat marketing centre through wholesale terms.
"We are expecting farmers to continue being active from farm to fork resulting in them getting fair value for the products by being closer to the market which was not the case previously," added Chari.
This is revealed in the latest Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) newsletter report. The report states that the centre, which was set up with the financial assistance of the European Union through the smart subsidies matching grants initiative of the VALUE project, will facilitate direct marketing of pork and pork products from the members of the syndicate for both retail and wholesale customers.
"We are happy with the opening of the centre. The hustle of searching for markets and the ill-treatment and abuse by some butchery owners is over for the syndicate members. The centre is a game changer and will provide comfort to the farmers during the marketing phase," said Kennedy Dongo the Chairperson of the Mashonaland East Pork Producers Business Syndicate.
"The opening of the meat marketing centre is a positive step towards vertical integration of the small and medium scale producers along the value chain, the expectation is that this will result in an increase in the farmers' market share in Harare and surrounding areas. The farmers are also set to improve their profit margins through direct meat marketing," said Newton Chari, the VALUE project Team.
Indications are that measures to address issues of quality of products have been put in place and farmers participating in the marketing centre are bound by set production standards to ensure conformity with market expectations and standards.
The report states that the project is promoting a Fair Value Farm Branding which entails adherence to good agricultural practices and fair distribution of value generated along the value chain.
Other value chain players such as small and licensed independent butcheries operating in high density areas of Harare will benefit from the alternative and affordable avenue offered by the meat marketing centre through wholesale terms.
"We are expecting farmers to continue being active from farm to fork resulting in them getting fair value for the products by being closer to the market which was not the case previously," added Chari.
Source - Byo24News
