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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 29863, member: 2262"] Zimbabwe can gain a lot from letting free markets work in farming, says Dr. Anxious Masuka, who runs agriculture. He talked at a trade meeting in Victoria Falls yesterday about their plan called structured market liberalization. They started testing this approach with crops like maize and wheat to see how market forces set prices naturally. Back in 2020, the country made rules saying businesses must pay for 40 percent of farm materials through special financing deals. Dr. Masuka has asked others to help private companies fund 100 percent of the materials for six key farm products by 2028. The government wants to create good conditions for these contracts instead of paying directly. Zimbabwe built its farm product trading system at just the right time, as the country could export more goods. They grow extra wheat—around 250,000 metric tons more than needed—after becoming self-sufficient three growing seasons ago. The country also produces extra tobacco, sugar, and many fruits and veggies for export. African nations import food worth $80-100 billion each year, creating opportunities for Zimbabwe to sell through the African trade agreement. The Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange has been working as a team effort between companies and the government for three years already. Its leader, Collen Tapfumaneyi, said they help hardworking farmers find better ways to sell crops and get money. Farm expert Dr. Bharat Kulkami explained that trade systems must include everyone—small farmers and local sellers need to participate, not just big players. He shared how Ethiopian farmers earned much more money through these systems, going from keeping 30 percent to 76 percent of sales prices. These trading platforms don't cut out middle businesses completely but change what jobs they do. The head of the African exchange group, Ms. Tucci Ivowi, wants different countries to connect their systems better. Africa has 1.3 billion people with $3 trillion combined income, making trade across borders very important. [/QUOTE]

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