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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 35568, member: 636"] Farm marketing has changed a lot over the years. Farmers once received payment checks through the mail at schools or stores after delivering crops. Parents told children to stay for Friday assemblies when the mail came out. They cashed these checks at shops, banks, or supply stores weeks after bringing cotton or grain to depots. The marketing season excited farm families who could handle money problems. Cotton farmers waited for what seemed like bonus money from the Cotton Marketing Board. This money actually came from grade differences figured out after final testing. The first payments treated all cotton as grade D regardless of quality. Final grading gave farmers the right price for their crops minus what they had already received. Farmers used this money to prepare for next season or buy Christmas clothes. This system worked despite farmers not fully grasping payment details. Groups shared money to buy early supplies each season, helping them grow enough food to sell. Things shifted after 2000 when land reform brought sanctions that disrupted farming. Input prices rose through artificial shortages meant to punish people. Farmers who relied on group buying faced new challenges without support systems. Weather problems happened at the same time prices kept changing. Government programs later helped farmers grow and sell crops. Markets remain difficult but improving. Modern farmers treat their work like a business, focusing on making money. This business approach shapes how crops are sold today. Farming supports millions of Zimbabweans and may reverse migration patterns as people move from cities back to rural areas. [/QUOTE]

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