LIMALINKS EMPOWERS YOUTH FARMER!!!

By HAPPY MULOLANI SINCE independence, Zambia is predominately a mining country which has particularly been dependent on copper mining. But, in recent years, copper mining has slumped due to a myriad of factors such as the decline of copper prices on the world market. In view of this, government realized the need for diversification, specifically the agriculture sector, given the vast abundant arable land and untapped natural resources. According to the Seventh National Plan, government emphasizes on the agriculture sector as a socio-economic driver and boost to the economic status of the country. This approach is meant to diversify the Zambian economy in a bid to transform the economy of the country through productively making use of the abundant arable land and resources. Although the country possesses abundant arable land and natural resources which farmers utilize for their agriculture activities, their access to credible market information has been unreliable. This has meant lack of information on market prices and potential markets in different farming enterprises, posing a threat to farmers as they have been vulnerable to brief-case traders who tend to manipulate the prevailing market prices and offer low prices for farmers’ commodities. Such a situation has disadvantaged small-scale farmers from making tangible profits from their produce in different farming enterprises they engage in. Often, young people are discouraged from venturing into farming because of poor access to market prices and unreliable markets. Despite these hurdles, immediate interventions aimed at addressing farmers’ access to market information via mobile phone have been initiated by a non-governmental organization. LimaLinks is a non-governmental organization whose primary objective is to assist small-scale farmers by linking them to potential markets. This is done through mobile phones by providing valuable information to enable small-scale farmers make informed decisions and sale their produce to identified markets at reasonable prices. The organization not only aims at empowering small-scale farmers with vital information with prevailing market prices but also partners with market agents to better serve the farmers. LimaLinks Sales and Business Administrator Tamara Munyati says market agents are positioned in every catchment area and collaborate with LimaLinks in order to assist farmers with market information on a daily basis to enable them sale their produce at reasonable prices to identified markets. This eases manipulation of market prices as farmers are well vest with the prevailing market prices of various commodities. And Lima Links Farmer Trainer Associate Joseph Mizinga explains that LimaLinks uses airtel as the service provider to create awareness on the daily prevailing market information to small-scale farmers. The advantage is that the service is offered to farmers at no cost and allows more farmers to access market prices at their convenience. “All farmers need to do is use any mobile phone and dial *789# and select the different available commodity prices, by doing so, farmers are able to have a higher negotiating power because they are aware of the daily pricing of the different commodities on the market,” says Mr. Mizinga. He acknowledges not all farmers use airtel network but other networks. This, he argues is the reason LimaLinks is considering providing the service on other networks to fully cater for a wider range of farmers. Against all odds, a young farmer ventured in various agriculture enterprises in 2015 as a source of livelihood. Benson Munsanje, aged 26, is a youth small-scale farmer in Chiombo district in Central province, who opted to engage in farming due to lack of employment. Mr. Munsanje turned to agriculture after his quest to secure employment flopped. His first stint was with a security company upon completing his secondary education. He realised the pay check was inadequate to sustain his personal and family needs. Due to his low earnings, he decided to pursue another job option to better his earnings. Unfortunately, even his second job did not meet his expectations as he earned very little, prompting him to quit. These experiences compelled Munsanje to turn to farming as an alternative avenue to sustain himself and support his family. Mr. Munsanje recounts his first experience when he faced difficulties in selling his produce at Soweto market in Lusaka because of the middlemen who are in the habit of manipulating market prices. This system of trade tends to deprive farmers of making reasonable profits because of the low prices offered for their produce. Consequently, Mr. Munsanje cautiously took up farming by cultivating a lesser hectarge to avoid losses that were likely to be encountered at the point of sale. He embarked on cultivating tomatoes and onions because of a readily available market and traded at reasonable prices amidst price manipulation. However, Mr. Munsanje’s story changed when he became aware of LimaLinks and their provision of market information on a daily basis and linkage to prospective buyers. This awareness increased his negotiating power whenever selling his produce to prospective markets. “Despite the dictates of the market, I realized the underlying potential farming presented especially after I learnt of LimaLinks’s provision of market information every day. It also enabled me to start cultivating a wider range of profitable crops such as soya beans, beans, water melon and sweet potatoes,” he said. With LimaLinks’s provision of access to market information on various commodities, it has inculcated a sense of awareness of potential markets thereby contributing to increased hectarge. “I have increased my area under cultivation. Out of 4.5 hectares of my farm, I now cultivate three hectares of a variety of crops meant for sale as compared to the one hectare I used to cultivate in the past due to uncertainties and manipulation of the market pricing of commodities,” says Mr. Munsanje. It is evident, the intervention of LimaLinks in providing market information to small-scale farmers’ has created awareness on the various commodity prices and type of existing market. Clearly, making market prices available is a necessity for empowering farmers in order for them to not only make informed decisions on what crops to grow but also promotes market linkage. .