STAFF REPORTER
Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is undergoing a marked resurgence driven by deliberate policy reform, climate-smart innovation and renewed national commitment to food security. Speaking at the commemoration of FAO’s 80th anniversary in Harare, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Hon Dr Anxious Masuka, said the country’s turnaround reflects disciplined implementation of national strategies and a clear vision for growth.
“Food security is not simply a development target — it is the foundation of dignity, sustainability, stability and prosperity,” he told delegates.
Guided by Vision 2030, the National Development Strategies, and the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategies (AFSRTS 1 and 2), Zimbabwe has transformed a sector once defined by vulnerability into one showing strong recovery. The minister reported that agriculture had expanded into a US$7.3 billion industry by 2025, even amid the worst drought in four decades.
Among the gains he highlighted were:
Pfumvudza/Intwasa, now reaching over 3.5 million households, boosting yields and strengthening resilience.
- A national plan to expand irrigated land from 221,000 to 496,000 hectares, reducing reliance on erratic rainfall.
- Mechanisation, with more than 2,000 tractors and harvesters delivered through partnerships with Belarus, India and China.
- Growth in livestock, “a 5% increase in the national herd despite El Niño losses,” reaching more than 5.7 million cattle in 2025.
Dr Masuka underscored the urgency of climate adaptation. “Climate change is real. We feel its effects daily.” AFSRTS 2, he said, is designed to embed climate-proof agriculture—irrigation, digital agriculture, early warning systems and drought-tolerant production—into the country’s long-term development architecture.
Yet the speech also pointed to significant opportunities ahead. More than 40% of Zimbabwe’s land is prime agricultural land, and with over 10,000 dams, vast potential exists for irrigation-based agribusiness, aquaculture, solar pumping and agro-processing. Expanding markets in horticulture, citrus, dairy, beef, tobacco and organic agriculture offer strong export prospects under AfCFTA, SADC and COMESA.
“These opportunities,” he said, “require strong and innovative partnerships,” particularly with the private sector, development partners and investors seeking resilient, high-growth food systems.
Emphasising inclusivity, the minister called for collective effort:
“Let us lay the building blocks of agricultural production district by district, ward by ward, village by village, and household by household — to achieve food security, food sovereignty and improved livelihoods.”
UN Resident Coordinator Edward Kallon reinforced the message, noting the real impact he has witnessed across communities. “Behind every intervention lies a human story — a child better nourished, a farmer better equipped, a community more resilient.”
As Zimbabwe accelerates its agricultural modernisation, Dr Masuka’s message was clear: the nation is ready to build a food system that is efficient, inclusive, sustainable and globally competitive — and partnership will be the engine that drives it.
