Story by Tendai Munengwa
HARARE – THE Government in partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has successfully concluded the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment Programme (SHEP), a transformative five-year initiative that has equipped thousands of farmers with market-oriented horticultural skills to boost rural incomes and food security.
The official closing ceremony, held in Harare this Wednesday, was marked by a signing event attended by senior government officials, development partners, and key stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Shigeki Furuta, Resident Representative of JICA in Zimbabwe, expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the programme and reiterated Japan’s commitment to supporting Zimbabwe’s agricultural development.
“I am happy and upbeat that the implementation of the SHEP initiative has set a sustainable platform for smallholder farmers to transform their livelihoods. We have implemented this model in over 70 countries globally, and we are confident that its expansion across Zimbabwe will further enhance market access for horticultural produce,” he said.
The SHEP model focuses on transferring technical knowledge to smallholder farmers, enabling them to identify strategic crops with readily available markets and to align production with consumer demand, thereby ensuring profitability and sustainability.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, commended the impact of the programme on rural communities.
“The SHEP model is not just about numbers. It is about real impact skills and knowledge transfer that has empowered our farmers to grow what the market demands. Many beneficiaries can now afford to send their children to school and improve their quality of life, all thanks to the market-driven approach facilitated by JICA,” he said.
Stakeholders at the event also underscored the importance of integrating the Market-Driven Extension Approach into the broader Food Security and Rural Transformation Strategy, highlighting its potential to revolutionise rural agriculture.
As the SHEP initiative concludes, government and development partners are looking ahead to future collaborations that continue to empower rural communities and drive Zimbabwe towards achieving Vision 2030.
