Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE has the potential to double its aquaculture industry production to US$2,37 billion by 2030, if it boosts the sector’s capacity and strengthens blue economy value chains.
The sector, initially earmarked as a US$1 billion agricultural division, could more than double that value following findings from a comprehensive National Aquaculture Frame Survey conducted since 2024.
This comes at a time when Government is moving to scale up fish production, strengthen value chains and unlock opportunities within the country’s emerging blue economy.
The aquaculture sector also includes fish and crocodile production, among other activities.
The Government’s plan to establish 35 000 Village-Business Units (VBUs) and School Business Units (SBUs) is already providing tangible benefits to rural communities, creating employment, boosting household incomes and improving access to affordable protein.
By bringing fingerlings, feed and technical support closer to farmers, these units are enabling small-scale producers—particularly women and youth, who make up about 30 percent of fish farmers—to participate actively in the sector, develop entrepreneurial skills and generate sustainable livelihoods while contributing to national nutrition security.
The projections were shared during the Inaugural National Fisheries and Aquaculture Symposium held in Harare last Thursday, where Government officials, researchers, farmers and development partners outlined a roadmap for growth.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said the symposium is central to implementing the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 (AFSRTS 2: 2026–2030), which seeks to accelerate growth across agricultural value chains.
“Through the leadership of the Second Republic, the Ministry’s mandate was broadened in 2021 to include fisheries, recognising its vast potential to contribute to food security, economic development and improved rural livelihoods,” said Prof Jiri.
Government is targeting a major expansion of the sector, with national fish production expected to rise from 31 296 tonnes in 2024 to 60 000 tonnes by 2030 under the broader Blue Economy strategy.
Prof Jiri said the growth of aquaculture will help meet rising demand for affordable protein while easing pressure on natural fisheries, which have been declining from about 27 000 tonnes annually in the 1990s to just 5 000 tonnes now due to illegal and unregulated fishing.
Director of Livestock and Fisheries Production Mr Milton Makumbe said a comprehensive analysis of aquaculture sub‑sectors shows that targeted investments could unlock the sector’s full economic potential.
“We did an analysis of the sub‑sectors in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and found that we could potentially unlock up to US$2,37 billion in total revenue from the various sub‑sectors combined,” said Mr Makumbe.
He said realising this potential hinges on full utilisation of the country’s dams, enhanced hatchery capacity, increased fingerling production and improved feed supply.
Scaling up of flagship Government programmes including the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme could also spur the sector.
“Zimbabwe has more than 10 000 dams, many of which remain underutilised for fisheries production. We must ensure that every dam becomes an economic hub supporting fisheries, irrigation and rural livelihoods,” he said.
Mr Makumbe said the National Aquaculture Frame Survey has filled critical data gaps and informed Government planning, while new national hatchery management guidelines and expanded facilities provide a foundation for growth.
FAO Sub‑regional Coordinator Dr Patrice Talla said the Fish4ACP programme, supported by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has injected strategic support into Zimbabwe’s aquaculture value chain.
Under the initiative, FAO and partners established fingerling distribution hubs in Manicaland’s Honde Valley and Masvingo provinces, bringing quality seed closer to farmers and reducing costs associated with long‑distance transport.
Each hub has seven tanks capable of holding about 420 000 fingerlings, with seasonal capacity to move up to two million fingerlings, translating to at least 600 tonnes of fish valued at roughly US$1,8 million.
To strengthen hatchery output, Government and FAO are expanding breeding facilities at research and extension sites including Makoholi Fisheries Unit (Masvingo) and Matopos Research Institute (Matabeleland South).
This has provided high‑quality broodstock to the Henderson Research Station in Mazowe, helping produce millions of robust fingerlings annually.
Dr Talla said the programme also promotes local fish feed production, including support to private and community feed producers in Honde Valley to tackle high feed costs — a longstanding constraint for many farmers.
“These investments are already yielding visible results, improving feed access, increasing fingerling survival rates, strengthening farmer associations, and building capacities across the sector,” Dr Talla said.
Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association chairperson Mr Garikai Munatsirei, speaking on behalf of fish farmers, said achieving the sector’s ambitious targets will require continued investment in key infrastructure, notably feed production facilities and cold chain systems closer to farming communities to reduce post‑harvest losses and improve market access.
“Investment in local feed production and cold chain infrastructure will be critical if we are to increase production and ensure farmers fully benefit from the growth of the fisheries and aquaculture sector,” he said.
Experts say that with sustained investment, stronger value chains and adoption of modern technologies, fisheries and aquaculture can become a major pillar of Zimbabwe’s agricultural transformation, creating jobs, improving nutrition and generating billions in revenue for the economy.
