𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Farmers have been urged to study market trends before planting, with a warning that failure to understand market patterns can leave them struggling to sell their produce profitably.

Remnant Farmers Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruth Sibanda said the current drop in tomato prices is not a new phenomenon, urging farmers to study the production and market patterns of different crops before investing in them.

Speaking to one love radio news, Ms Sibanda said farmers can take advantage of periods when many are focused on planting crops like maize, as there is likely to be less competition in tomato production.

“If you want to get into tomato production, get into it in November, be in the market in December, January and February, why, because at that time, a lot of farmers are thinking about maize, they are thinking of planting soya beans and these other crops,” Ms Sibanda Said.

Ms Sibanda said jumping into farming without first understanding the market is one of the major reasons farmers end up with produce selling at very low prices.

She also encouraged farmers to embrace value addition, saying acquiring skills to process their produce can help them earn better returns when market prices fall.

By: Fortune Sianezuna