In Zimbabwe, contract farming for seed production has traditionally been the domain of commercial farmers due to the high levels of care necessary in production and perceived high risks associated with contracting small holder farmers. With limited supply and market options, medium-sized seed company Agriseeds sought to use smallholder farmers as a production base and approached SNV to facilitate the development of a workable smallholder out-grower model. The co-operation of Agriseeds with smallholder farmers was very successful for both parties: the farmers increased their incomes significantly from US$250 per annum to an average of US$800 per annum, leading to improved quality of life; whereas the company had by 2011 ended up with three years’ worth of stock that could be exported. The programme has attracted the interest of other companies, who want to enter into contract schemes with small holder farmers, as they have realized that it is possible for rural farmers to be reliable business partners.