By Aldridge Dzvene
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development for steering Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector beyond its targeted growth, reaching an impressive US$10,3 billion against a projected US$8,2 billion in 2024. This milestone, achieved in the face of the country’s worst drought in over forty years, represents more than statistical success. It is a statement of resilience, innovation, and policy coherence that reflects the broader transformation taking shape within Zimbabwe’s economy.
In his foreword to the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2, which runs from 2026 to 2030 in tandem with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), President Mnangagwa reaffirmed agriculture as the backbone of the national economy. He noted that Zimbabwe’s journey from a low-income to a modern, inclusive, and upper middle-income economy by 2030 is inseparable from the performance and modernization of the agricultural sector. His vision underscores that the path to economic sovereignty and rural empowerment must be built on self-reliance, innovation, and sustainable agricultural practices.
This growth milestone carries deep economic and symbolic meaning. Economically, the expansion of the agriculture sector signals renewed investor confidence, structural reform, and diversification within an economy long shaped by land and resource use. It demonstrates that the sector has evolved from traditional, weather-dependent production into a multi-dimensional, value-driven industry that integrates technology, finance, and industrial linkages. Symbolically, it reaffirms the resilience of the Zimbabwean farmer and the success of government policies aimed at transforming rural livelihoods into productive economic zones.
Under the Second Republic, agriculture has been repositioned from a subsistence-based sector to a strategic pillar of industrialization and export-led growth. The introduction of programmes such as Pfumvudza or Intwasa, mechanization schemes, irrigation rehabilitation, and the development of agro-industrial parks has catalyzed productivity across multiple value chains. These interventions have ensured that agriculture contributes not only to food security but also to employment creation, forex earnings, and community development.
What makes this achievement particularly significant is the timing. The 2023 and 2024 season brought the most severe drought Zimbabwe has experienced in over four decades, a climatic challenge that could have crippled production. Yet, through climate-smart interventions, improved water harvesting, and investment in irrigation infrastructure, the sector remained productive. This resilience underscores how strategic planning, data-driven resource management, and the adoption of adaptive technologies can mitigate the effects of climate change on national food systems.
From a governance perspective, the milestone also highlights the success of policy synchronization between the agriculture ministry and broader economic blueprints. The upcoming Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 will deepen alignment with NDS2, focusing on value addition, technological innovation, and market access. The integration of smallholder farmers into national value chains is transforming rural communities into hubs of economic activity, reducing inequality and reinforcing the government’s thrust of leaving no one and no place behind.
The agriculture sector’s performance also strengthens Zimbabwe’s macroeconomic stability. Growth in this sector supports the manufacturing industry through raw material supply, stabilizes food prices, and boosts exports. As agriculture expands, it injects capital into rural economies, creating multiplier effects across sectors such as transport, banking, and trade. For a developing economy seeking sustainable growth, this interconnectedness forms the basis for structural transformation.
Regionally, Zimbabwe’s success story contributes to Africa’s broader agricultural renaissance. The country’s model of blending traditional farming knowledge with modern innovation demonstrates how African states can achieve food sovereignty through integrated national planning. It echoes the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a continent that feeds itself and drives its own development agenda.
Politically, President Mnangagwa’s acknowledgment of the ministry’s performance reflects a leadership approach that rewards accountability and results. It underscores the President’s commitment to Vision 2030, which emphasizes productivity, efficiency, and self-reliance. The performance of the agriculture sector, therefore, becomes a mirror of Zimbabwe’s broader reform trajectory, one where economic transformation is driven from within rather than imposed from outside.
As Zimbabwe prepares to implement the next phase of its agricultural and rural transformation strategy, the lessons from this achievement are clear. Resilience, innovation, and alignment between government policy and grassroots implementation remain the key drivers of success. The sector’s growth amid drought has shown that progress is not solely dependent on favorable conditions but on deliberate planning and the ability to adapt to changing realities.
Ultimately, Zimbabwe’s US$10,3 billion agriculture sector represents more than a numeric triumph. It is a story of national revival, proof of what can be achieved when vision, leadership, and collective effort converge. It marks another stride toward Vision 2030, where agriculture stands as the foundation of an empowered, modern, and inclusive Zimbabwe, a nation that feeds itself, sustains its economy, and defines its destiny with confidence.
