Edwin Moyo takes a stroll through his maize field, smiling as the lush green leaves of his crop brush against each other in response to the breeze. Busy amid the serenity of his two-hectare farm in the west of Zimbabwe, his patient tending looks likely to pay off, as the rainy season did not disappoint. The thick maize cobs spread out across the field are now the envy of his neighbours.
Moyo’s friends at the local pub have advised him to look to the export market if he wants a favourable return, as the local grain marketing board has let down farmers on payments, year after year. He plans to sell his maize in nearby Zambia, but he is in for a nasty surprise. Just about every farmer in the region is selling the same crop Moyo has worked so hard to grow. Worse still, Zimbabwe’s government, facing a dire food deficit, already plans to import maize from Uganda, further dampening his prospects.
Edwin’s story is the same for many farmers and traders in eastern and southern Africa. Regional integration in Africa has long been touted as a pathway to rapid economic growth and development. But Africa remains the world’s least connected continent in terms of commerce and ease of movement for production.
