The ManicaPost
Wimbainashe Zhakata Post Correspondent
AGRO-MARKETING company Brands Fresh is concerned with losing its contracted bananas to informal traders as farmers in Mutasa are side-marketing their produce to buyers paying cash.
This was revealed during the second edition of the Honde Valley Brands Fresh farmers’ day which was attended by over 100 contracted farmers.
Brands Fresh manager Mr Letmore Nyagura said the farmers were producing quality bananas that were now enticing informal traders.
“Challenges have been about the economy, which caused side marketing due to our hyperinflationary environment. We have noticed growers are being tempted to sell their produce to the informal traders for cash.
“Some of them will approach the farmers carrying bags of cash, but because the growers have no choice, they end up giving away their produce at ridiculous prices.
“We hold events like this every year as a way of giving back to the growers,” said Mr Nyagura.
Mrs Florence Chinyanga, a banana grower from Zindi village, Honde Valley, said the informal traders were coming from Harare and other non-banana producing areas across the country.
“As a farmer, I produce different kinds of fruits such as mangoes and litchies and sell them to anyone who pays a fair price without looking at their background.
“We face challenges such as failure of payment by some of the customers. We are contracted by Brands Fresh to produce bananas and we always honour our contracts,” said Mrs Chinyanga.
During the event, farmers were rewarded with an asortment of prizes for producing the best bananas in terms of quality and quantity.
The prizes included farming inputs such as fertilisers, machetes and hoes, among others.
Mrs Angeline Mukupe, who delivered 16 268 bananas to Brands Fresh, scooped the first prize in the 2019 top 20 quality suppliers while Mrs Estery Mukupe,who delivered two tonnes, was first in the top 10 suppliers by volume.
“I feel honoured to win this award after a year of hard work. I worked very hard despite the scarcity of inputs and rainfall,” she said.
