Reaching Zimbabwean Farmers Through CATI

Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is central to rural livelihoods, with smallholder farmers playing an important role in maize, tobacco, cotton, horticulture, livestock, and other value chains. From communal farming areas to commercial agricultural regions, farmers operate under different production conditions and face varying challenges around climate, markets, inputs, and access to services. For organizations implementing agricultural programmes, understanding these differences through reliable field data is essential for effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E), baseline studies, and impact measurement.

At CATI Africa, our Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) services make it easier for organizations to connect with farmers across Zimbabwe without relying entirely on extensive face-to-face fieldwork. Through structured telephone interviews, we support the collection of consistent and timely information on farming activities, household livelihoods, market access, programme participation, and agricultural outcomes.

Supporting Agricultural Research, Monitoring and Evaluation in Zimbabwe

CATI can support agricultural research, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), and baseline studies across Zimbabwe by helping organizations to:

• Reach farmers across diverse agricultural and rural communities
• Gather information efficiently across multiple farming seasons
• Monitor changes in production, income, input use, and market participation
• Reduce the time and coordination required for extensive field visits
• Generate timely evidence for programme evaluation and reporting

Zimbabwe’s farming landscape includes both smallholder and commercial producers, with agricultural activities varying significantly between regions. Weather variability and changing agricultural conditions also make regular farmer feedback valuable for organizations assessing programme performance, resilience, and changing livelihoods.

Our CATI approach enables researchers to follow up with farmers remotely, conduct repeat interviews, and capture changes over time without repeatedly mobilizing large field teams. This makes telephone-based research a practical option for organizations seeking consistent agricultural data across different locations and farming seasons.

Organizations can use CATI across Zimbabwe for:

• Tobacco farmer and value-chain research
• Agricultural baseline and endline studies
• Climate resilience and adaptation assessments
• Smallholder livelihood and income research
• Market access and agricultural service evaluations
• Monitoring of farmer support and development programmes

CATI Africa works with NGOs, government institutions, development organizations, agribusinesses, and research teams to deliver structured telephone-based agricultural research across Zimbabwe. By combining trained interviewers with systematic data collection processes, we help turn farmer experiences into dependable evidence for programme improvement, accountability, and informed agricultural decision-making.