By Conrad Mwanawashe
The newly-launched US$65.5 million-Horticulture Enterprise Enhancement Project (HEEP), an initiative designed to uplift over 70,000 smallholder farmers, is expected to reduce barriers to access finance for export growth through a revolving fund that will provide short- and medium-term financing of up to five years.
The Export Horticulture Revolving Fund (EHRF) will provide financing at commercial rates to players within the horticulture value chain, thus reducing barriers to access finance for export growth.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) contributed US$37.5 million and the OPEC Fund, US$15.0 million, to the US$65.5 million and government will contribute US$5.
“HEEP is not merely an agricultural project; it embodies a strategic initiative focused on improving rural livelihoods and economic conditions for smallholder farmers involved in sustainable horticulture value chains,” according to Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Vangelis Haritatos while launching the HEEP.
“The geographical focus includes the development of Village Horticultural Gardens (VHGs) in Matabeleland South, Manicaland, Masvingo, and Midlands Provinces.
“These VHGs will adopt a hub-and-spoke model, situated adjacent to rehabilitated Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) managed irrigation schemes, ensuring efficient resource utilization and maximum impact,” Deputy Minister Haritatos added.
IFAD’s country director for Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia, and for the Multi-Country Office in Southern Africa, Mr Francesco Rispoli, said apart from directly reaching an estimated 71 000 households, representing 355 000 people, HEEP will indirectly benefit about 50,000 households.
Mr Rispoli said IFAD has supported eight development projects valued at US$396,3 million, with US$162,8 million from IFAD directly and has been investing in rural economies and food systems in the country since 1980.
HEEP in brief
The Horticulture Enterprise Enhancement Project will run for eight years from 2023-2031.It is co-financed by the Government of Zimbabwe, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
Project Goal
The project goal is to increase incomes, food security and empowerment for Smallholder Farmers, engaged in profitable and sustainable horticulture value chains (VCs).
Project Area
HEEP will take a two-pronged approach to geographic targeting based on a combination of
- poverty and nutritional status
- potential for commercial horticultural development.
The first component of the project, the Village Horticulture Garden (VHG) activities will be located in 20 districts) in the arid and semi-arid areas of Matabeleland South, Manicaland, Masvingo, and Midlands Provinces.
The project will be implemented in 4 provinces with 20 districts benefitting from the intervention. In Manicaland the project will cover Nyanga, Makoni, Mutasa, Chimanimani and Chipinge.
In Masvingo, the project will be implemented in Gutu, Masvingo, Zaka, Mwenezi, Chiredzi while in Matabeleland South, districts that will benefit from the project are Beitbridge, Insiza, Gwanda, Matobo and Mangwe.
In Midlands, the project will be rolled out in Gweru, Chirumanzu, Shurugwi, Zvishavane and Mberengwa. Ten wards per district will benefit from the HEEP project.
The second component of the project, 4Ps will draw from smallholder farmers on a nation-wide basis, selected based on market conditions and agricultural potential.
Village Horticulture Gardens
VHGs will be targeted towards the poorer rural households with less immediate opportunities for commercial horticulture.
The VHGs will be sited, using a hub-and-spoke approach, in the wards adjacent to functional Agricultural Rural Development Authority (ARDA)-managed irrigation schemes
HEEP will establish 620 Village Health Gardens (VHGs) in the four selected provinces, with 155 VHGs per province. In each province, five districts will be targeted, with 10 wards selected per district.
The criteria for district selection include;
- poverty prevalence
- proximity of functional smallholder irrigation schemes
- ability of ARDA to support aggregation in wards with ARDA supervised irrigation schemes
The 4P households will be located in;
- well-functioning irrigation schemes throughout the country
- high potential regions of the Mashonaland Provinces and Manicaland, that is, those that fall into Natural Regions 1 and 2A
