Our idea is an ongoing project, which is setting up an agriculture commodity floor facility that is powered by a bi-generation biogas plant and solar system for rural postharvest processing and storage of agricultural products. The commodity floor facility is part of and an integral component of an agribusiness innovation and incubation center. Our concept aims to immensely enhance the productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers by reducing post-harvest losses, by setting up a biogas plant that will power a community based cold storage warehouse and dryer for fruits and vegetable in the horticultural zone of Zimbabwe at Rimbi Village in, Murewa Rural District. We have started implementing the Community Agricultural Commodity Floor Programme by setting up solar powered dryer units with funding from SNV Zimbabwe, UNICEF and Swedish Embassy in Zimbabwe. We also received anothers grant from GIZ through Tony Elumelu Foundation and Net Impact.
Impact
We are working with various groups of smallholder farmers, youths, women and people living with HIV/AIDS, buying, their produce, package and sell under our brand name ECO-CONNECT Foods. Our agricultural commodity floor is renewable energy powered physical infrastructure set up in the form of a warehouse and associated post-harvest facilities with the objective of aggregating small holder farmer’s produce to supply large quantity buyers. The agriculture commodity floor will utilize virtual communication and marketing systems for trade through mobile and web application. This is in addition to having supply contracts with buyers of fruits and vegetables like hotels, supermarkets, schools, hospitals etc. Currently we are supplying dried fruits and vegetables to three retail outlets, two hospitals, seven restaurants, and two boarding schools. These customers also needs fresh produce.
Objectives
• Aggregate farmer’s farm produce for bulk selling through setting up of biogas powered cold storage and drying facilities.
• Provision of agricultural market linkages by establishing market contracts and contacts with bulk buyers of agricultural produce.
• Market data analysis and dissemination for use by government and other institutions.
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