Zimbabwe: introducing good agricultural practices …through farmer-led demonstration plots

As part of the FFM+ programme, COLEAD recently conducted a field mission to provide technical support to the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) in assessing avocado orchard management practices. Although this type of support is usually offered to companies, this initiative was exceptional in that it engaged a producer organisation and used its members’ farms as demonstration plots — an innovative and effective approach.

The mission’s primary objective was to evaluate the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and provide practical recommendations to enhance critical areas such as irrigation, pruning, nutrient management, and pest control.

The field assessment revealed several challenges, including limited knowledge of GAPs, poor seed and orchard site selection, weak nursery and orchard management, and inadequate post-harvest practices. Farmers also lacked information on quality and food safety standards such as GlobalG.A.P. and HACCP.

The recommendations from the mission included:

– Improved rootstock selection

– Establishing partnerships with certified nurseries;

– Structuring orchard layouts;

– Enhancing irrigation and pruning schedules;

– Strengthening post-harvest handling practices.

Based on these findings, ZFU has developed an action plan to scale up producer coaching through COLEAD’s e-learning platform.

During the debriefing, the ZFU Capacity Building Manager provided positive feedback:

‘The training was very informative, and the farmers realised many things that need improvement. One of the key takeaways is the importance of establishing avocado orchards with certified nurseries. The farmers have already begun to implement an action plan in this direction. Thank you for the support.’

This initiative lays the foundation for the sustainable development of Zimbabwe’s avocado sector by equipping producers with the tools and knowledge needed to boost productivity and meet market requirements.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.