THE curtain came down yesterday on the Zimbabwe Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (ZIM-SHEP) project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Launched in March 2019, the initiative aimed to empower farmers through agricultural entrepreneurship and sustainable practices.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry secretary Obert Jiri said the project had a huge impact, providing farmers with marketing and production techniques while equipping extension officers with essential skills to assist local farmers.
“This method encourages farmers to identify markets before production, which has significantly improved their livelihoods,” Jiri said.
“The project’s importance goes beyond numbers; the real impact lies in the transformed lives.
“Farmers can now finance their children’s education with agricultural earnings.”
JICA resident representative Shigeki Furuta praised the project team’s resilience, especially in overcoming challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furuta said JICA intended to institutionalise the project’s methodologies within Zimbabwean agricultural education, further enhancing its impact.
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“We aim to integrate these practices into academic training to ensure the sustainability of this approach and I am confident that the momentum built through ZIM-SHEP will continue to inspire and empower many more farmers in years to come,” he said.
The JICA resident representative acknowledged the vital role played by local farmers.
“Their enthusiasm and participation have been key to the project’s success,” he said.
