For years, sesame production in Mbire District has been characterized by uncertainty, while farmers invested their time and resources in production, many were never certain whether buyers would be available at harvest time or whether the prices offered would make their efforts worthwhile thus this uncertainty often discouraged farmers from expanding production.
Takesure Hove, a smallholder farmer from Ward 2 in Mbire District, experienced these challenges firsthand, the lack of assured markets for sesame forced him to take a cautious approach during the 2024 farming season. He cultivated less than one hectare of sesame and at the end of the season, he harvested 200 kilograms, which he sold for only US$0.60 per kilogram to the unjust middlemen from Mozambique resulting in a low income of US$120 than expected.
In the 2025–2026 farming season, Hove went into production still carrying the same sentiments of uncertainty from the previous season, shaped by experiences of unstable markets and exploitative middlemen who often offered low prices for Sesame. Despite the lack of confidence in the market environment, he proceeded with cultivation, driven by the need to sustain his household and make use of available land, thus he decision to cultivate 1.5 hectares of sesame.
With support from the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund II’s (ZRBF II) Ushingi Project, which connected Mbire farmers like Takesure to more reliable buyers, including buyers such as SesAfrika and other registered market actors. These linkages significantly improved his outlook on sesame farming, restoring confidence that his produce would have a fair and dependable market. As a result, after harvesting 350 kilograms of sesame, Takesure was able to successfully sold his Sesame at US$0.90 per kilogram, earning nearly US$330.
This represented a substantial improvement compared to the previous season, both in terms of price and overall income, and demonstrated the positive impact of strengthened market systems on smallholder farmer livelihoods
After successfully selling his sesame harvest, Takesure Hove reinvested part of the income into maintaining his solar-powered water pump, which he uses to draw water from a well to support his horticultural garden. The garden has become an important supplementary livelihood activity for his household, where he cultivates vegetables, tomatoes, and cowpeas. This small but growing enterprise is steadily contributing to household income and food security, as the availability of reliable water through the solar pump enables more consistent production throughout the season.
Takesure Hove’s experience shows how improved market access and better income opportunities can gradually transform smallholder livelihoods, from uncertainty and low returns under exploitative market conditions, he was able to increase his sesame earnings and reinvest in productive assets.
