TechnoServe implemented an 18-month pilot program to strengthen Zimbabwe’s poultry industry. In partnership with DAPP... Zimbabwe, TechnoServe tested new models of linking poultry companies with small-scale chicken outgrowers, aiming to raise the incomes of more than 70 outgrowers by at least $1,000 each per year. The program helped more than 3,000 soy and maize farmers improve their productivity, and facilitated connections with local feed processors to ensure a stable market for these farmers. TechnoServe also provided technical assistance to the Zimbabwe Poultry Association to promote the inclusion of smallholder farmers within the industry.

TechnoServe is running a national business plan competition called Agro Initiative Zimbabwe. The program supports... promising ideas in agriculture by awarding capital prizes and technical assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses that include smallholder farmers in their supply chains and can serve as models for the broader industry. The program aims to award five to 10 prizes to companies in categories such as staples, high-value crops, livestock and food processing.

TechnoServe is working on introducing a mobile phone-based solution to meet the growing information demands of farmers,... agribusinesses and the development community. In partnership with Esoko, Africa’s largest mobile agriculture platform with operations in 17 countries, the system provides market price information to farmers and allows organisations to interact and exchange information with producers. The system is now live and operational in Zimbabwe; discussions are underway with mobile network operators to establish local interconnection and further reduce cost of providing the service to farmers.