Horticulture producers in the Zambezi Region say they are overlooked and struggling to find a local market.

This issue was raised during a meeting between various supermarket representatives, the Zambezi Horticulture Producer's Association (ZAHOPA), and the National Association of Horticulture Producers (NAHOP).

The engagement was held to facilitate communication and collaboration between producers and retailers, with the aim of addressing any hinderances to smooth transactions and cooperation.

"You could hear from this meeting that on the one hand, the retailers are saying that they can't find the produce within the region; they are saying there is a market, but the produce is not available, but the producers are saying in the same meeting that they have the produce and that they can't find the market, so now for us as the officials, it's just to say, how do we bridge this gap between the producers and the buyers and all the retailers in the region, so that they don't buy from elsewhere and buy from producers within the region?" said Lesley Losper, Executive Director for NAHOP.

Beritha Maswahu, the owner of Kopano Farm, contradicted the buyers' concerns about produce unavailability, highlighting that their produce goes to waste annually as local supermarkets do not purchase from them.

"Do you think that will make me want to plant again next season? I will not do so because of the losses I have incurred. We tried, and we are really trying, but the losses are too much. When it comes to such events as this one, where they encourage us to plant and produce, at the end of the day, they don't come to buy."

Minsozi Mbeha stated that one of the challenges they face is a lack of funding. "We have land, fertile land, but we have the challenge of water; we are not able to dig our own boreholes because we don't have money. For me, I was ready to go and take $1 million from Agribank, but Agribank cannot consider me because I don't have anyone to sign an offtake agreement with. So if ZAHOPA can do that on our behalf."

The ZAHOPA Chairperson, Castro Muunda, mentioned that these factors deter young people from getting involved in agriculture.

"It's really difficult, and we thought that when NAB signs a memorandum of understanding with Agribank, then we have something much better coming, especially for our young people, but we don't see that yet coming, so truly if the Agribank can come in and fund, young people will engage and farmers will produce much better, the quality can be improved, and the market will be able to be accessed."

Muunda also emphasised the need to address the delay in the processing of applications by banks.