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(DAILY MAIL ZW) CASH to train 5,000 rural farmers

CASH to train 5,000 rural farmers
October 26, 2012 | Filed under: Business | Posted by: web editor
By KELLY NJOMBO

COMMERCIAL Agribusiness for Sustainable Horticulture (CASH) has embarked on a project that will foster strategic alliances and improve the country’s delivery capacity to produce and market superior quality horticulture products.

The CASH is a global development alliance under the feed the future (FTF) initiative by the United States government and is being implemented by the Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASSNAPP).

ASSNAPP information and communication officer Shuko Mazombwe said the CASH project will increase market shares and improve access to short term finance for the farmers in the programme by developing new and strengthening existing market opportunities.

This is according to a statement obtained by the Daily Mail in Lusaka recently.

“The project will foster strategic alliances and partnerships and improve the country’s delivery capacity to produce and market superior quality horticulture products there by addressing the challenges of food insecurity and rural unemployment levels in the country,” she said.

She said the project will benefit farmers by training them intensively in topics like entrepreneurship, record keeping, and increased quality vegetable production.

Ms Mazombwe said the project aims to increase the technical and operational capacities of 5,000 rural smallholder horticulture farmers in Zambia to efficiently respond to dynamic market requirements by increasing production, reducing postharvest losses and by improving access to short term finances.

She said farmers in the programme will be guided and trained to become commercial horticulture producers, to ensure year round income generation, to manage their agribusinesses efficiently.

Labels: AGRICULTURE, CASH

posted by MrK @ 6:23 PM