The Sustainability of the producer group concept to the empowerment of smallholder farmers in Chivi district of Masvingo province

ABSTRACT

Smallholder farmers grappled with challenges of abject poverty, they have been vulnerable to

shocks of droughts/floods due to environmental climatic change, lack of agricultural inputs

and markets; contributing to untold food insecurity and suffering among producer groups.

Chivi has become a donor dependent district for relief and development programs. The

producer group model has been employed by development agencies to amalgamate

smallholder farmer in Chivi district and ameliorate their livelihoods. The model was

implemented as a development vehicle so thatfarmers couldutilise their capabilities, and

available assets; interacting with institutions so as to access inputs, knowledge and markets

which in turn boosted production of value chains. The livelihoods outcomes realised included

income increase and improve food security: the overall goal of the model. Although the

model celebrated some level of achievements,other variables like global warming and climate

change acted as major hurdle to ultimate food security.

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