Women farmers clinch export deal 

300 women who graduated from Jane Mutatu Institute of Agriculture for smallholder farmers have clinched a lucrative export deal to Asia and Europe for their produce.

The recently opened agriculture training centre has already began recording success stories as part of its graduands are now talking of export earnings after clinching a deal to export their produce.

Director of the institute, Mrs Jane Mutatu said the 300 women who organised themselves into groups will be exporting carrots, goats and mushroom to Europe and Asia.

Members of the newly formed Simukai Agriculture Group were equally elated at having to realise the benefits of their training which they said will help in ensuring they export competitive products.

The majority of the women had no financial literacy, making them uncreditworthy as they failed to meet borrowing requirements but following the training, that has since changed with a local bank having availed close to US$5 million to support the women’s ventures.

The American Embassy has also offered the women offices in Gweru where they will receive training on how to use social media to market  their produce and interact with their  potential clients.

Currently, they are 500 women small holder farmers who are registered with the Jane Mutatu Institute of Agriculture.