AGENT program is helping to establish small, community-based agri-business dealerships in the Communal Tribal Trust Lands of Zimbabwe. The program offers the dual benefits of setting up viable, private community-based dealerships and stimulating agricultural production in an area where food insecurity has been high.
The AGENT program supports the establishment of a network of community-based agri-business agents in the Communal Lands of Zimbabwe. Dealers are either self-selected or nominated by their communities. They are all provided with extensive training by CARE, in conjunction with the African Centre for Fertilizer Development (ACFD) and other research and industry participants. Training workshops are designed to develop the dealers' capacities to manage and promote the distribution and marketing of agricultural inputs and services. Training topics include small business practices, bookkeeping, marketing strategies and procedures, dry land farming techniques and credit management.
The dealers are provided with stock such as seeds, fertilizer, animal feed, tools and other inputs on credit. CARE guarantees the loan, with the stock remaining the property of CARE. These goods are then sold to individual farmers at cost, including transportation plus mark-up
