Characteristics of four rural horticultural markets in the south-eastern low veld of Zimbabwe

A research paper on four rural based outlets for the convenience of trading in horticultural produce in the South- Eastern Lowveld regions of Zimbabwe.Fortnightly surveys of Iruit and vegetable marketing at four rural centres representing diverse socio-economic hinterlands of communal (Ngundu), resettlement (Matandamaviri), smallholder irrigation (Rupangwana) and semi-urban (Checheche) areas were done between September 1989 and December 1990. The three most important vegetables marketed were tomato, rape and cabbage while banana, avocado and orange were the dominant fruits. Results showed differences in the type and volume of produce, source of produce, supply and seasonal availability of produce among the marketing centres. Matandamaviri had the lowest economic activity while Rupangwana recorded the most activity. For all centres, except Matandamaviri, stallholders sometimes travelled great distance of up to 300 km in search of fruits and vegetables for sale. The most commonly cited problems included transport difficulties, unreliability and poor quality of produce, and overtrading among the stallholders due to over-supply on the market

Dambo Farming In Zimbabwe: Water Management, Cropping and Soil Potentials for Smallholder Farming in the Wetlands.

A Conference Paper on garden irrigation in Zimbabwe.The research described in this report has the potential to improve sustainability of agriculture by reducing farmer reliance on extensive farming systems. The overall aim of the project is to promote the use of small irrigated community gardens to complement rainfed cropping. In years of good rainfall, these gardens can augment rainfed crop production, reduce the need to crop marginal land and improve nutrition by providing a continuous supply of vegetables during the dry season. In years of drought, such as that now occuring in Southern Africa, there is no rain-fed cropping. Irrigated gardens can provide rural communities with a vital "safety net", providing the only means of food production