This support programme aimed at developing a stakeholder-led and “good practice” based value chain compliance system for horticulture. Good practice cases that underpin both public and private sector compliance to value chain compliance and export requirements were mainstreamed in the new stakeholder-led compliance system. The support programme also built capacities of the key beneficiaries to access easily and adequately the value chains and export requirements with the view to enhance and sustain Zimbabwe’s access to the EU and other export markets.

Three-fold purposes:  To develop a stakeholder-led and “good practice” value chain compliance system for horticulture exports; To improve the capacity of the beneficiaries to access value chain compliance and export requirements that enhance and sustain access to the EU and other export markets including the CFTA; and To mainstream the recognized export requirements and “good practice” both in the public and private sectors into the stakeholder-led value chain compliance system.

Five-fold outputs:

• A stakeholder-led and “good practice” value chain compliance system for horticulture niche exports is developed;
• Capacity of food-testing infrastructure and ISO accreditation acquired;
• A sectorial framework for key stakeholder consultative process and implementation of the value chain compliance system for exports is developed;
• A sectorial framework for updating the value chain compliance system for exports is developed;
• Peer review of the stakeholder-led and “good compliance practice” value chain compliance system.

Intervention areas:

• Cost effective farming methods to be implemented;
• Maximising yield per given area;
• Production of good quality horticultural produce for the export market;
• Developing a stakeholder led and "good practice" value chain compliance system for horticulture exports;
• Improving the capacity of the beneficiaries to access value chain compliance and export requirements that enhance and sustain access to the EU and other export markets.

In the medium to long term, the intervention seeks to mainstream the recognized export requirements and "good practice" both in the public and private sectors into the stakeholder-led value chain compliance system.

Purpose 1: To develop a stakeholder-led and “good practice” value chain compliance system for horticulture exports

• Collection of information and analysis executed;
• Conduct an analysis of quality and food-testing infrastructure--laboratory audit undertaken and matrix elaborated for testing for food safety, quality and phytosanitary norms of the GAL, Kutsaga, Quarantine Department and SAZ laboratories;
• Value chain compliance system in 7 selected value chains (Sweet potato, Floriculture, Paprika, Bananas, Avocados, Pineapples and Macadamia), and key market compliance, using the EU market as a benchmark formulated;
• Baseline study for the Development of Stakeholder-led "Good Practice" Value Chain Compliance (VCC) and competitiveness for seven Selected Horticulture Products undertaken;
• Self-Assessment Good Practice Compliance Guide for each of the seven selected horticulture value chains (Sweet potato, Floriculture, Paprika, Bananas, Avocados, Pineapples and Macadamia) carried out;
• Produced Simplified Implementation Manuals for good practice VCC for the 7 identified value chains (Sweet potato, Floriculture, Paprika, Bananas, Avocados, Pineapples and Macadamia);
• Technical report on stakeholder-led ‘good practice’ value chain compliance for selected horticulture products prepared;
• Analysis report of Quality and Food Testing Infrastructure carried out;
• Structured trainings sessions and knowledge sharing sessions carried out with active participation of the key stakeholders;
• Report on the National Horticultural Value Chain Compliance and Traceability Mechanism/System (NHVCCTM) prepared;
• An assessment of the export opportunities for the horticulture sector under the iEPA carried out and an Export opportunity and requirements manual compiled;
• Three-days knowledge and skills-transfer training sessions (farmer support programme) on horticulture conducted successfully held with active participation of key stakeholders;
• Sensitisation and awareness programme targeted at all stakeholders developed;
• Multi-stakeholder consultation sectorial framework on the 7 value chains and export compliance system developed.

Purpose 2: To improve the capacity of the beneficiaries to access the value chain compliance and export requirements that enhance and sustain access to the EU and other export markets including the CFTA

• Four in-house training sessions on the use of the 7-compliance system successfully held;
• A three-day capacity building and training workshop for key project beneficiaries and smallholder farmers from the selected seven horticultural value chain held from 16th to 18th September 2019 in Mutare;
• In-house training sessions to the key beneficiary institutions delivered (4 - 11 October 2019);
• In-house training session focusing on ‘trade competitiveness, horticulture value chain compliance including the product certification processes’ for ZimTrade and other farmers’ support organisations held at ZimTrade in Harare;
• In-house capacity building session on Horticulture Plant Health, Food safety and EU regulations and market requirements delivered to officials of the Department of Research and Specialist Services (DRSS) offices;
• In-house training session delivered on ‘food-testing infrastructure’ with focus for Government Analytical Laboratories Services (GALs);
• Training Session, in-house, on the practical aspects of updating the compliance system in line with the evolution of export requirements in the EU and other key export markets undertaken for the key stakeholders;

Purpose 3 To mainstream the recognized export requirements and “good practice” both in the public and private sectors into the stakeholder-led value chain compliance system

• Validation Workshop attended by Beneficiaries (ZimTrade, Government Analyst Laboratory) and Key Support Institutions (January 2020) successfully held;
• Production of a Video Value Chains (VCC) best practices done;
• Prepared a video on VCC requirements and simplified guides on VCC for uploading on Zimtrade website (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbzoDGWUXow) ;
• Hard copies of simplified guides on VCC circulated to SHF prepared and widely shared;
• Project Results broadcasted widely through print and social media;
• A peer review for transparency of the value chain compliance system organised;
• An acceptance dialogue of the beneficiary ownership of the value chain / export compliance system and its regular update organized;
• Disseminated the developed and accepted value chain / export compliance system, to the wider set of beneficiaries.