Online Reporter
Lonster Mutata
Herald Correspondent
The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has emerged as a central engine of the country’s rural industrialisation drive, posting a remarkable 9,145 percent surge in production over four years while scaling irrigation, value addition and technology adoption to anchor national food security and export growth.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, which ended last Saturday, ARDA chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko, said the institution’s mandate is firmly aligned to the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy II and the National Development Strategy 2, with a clear focus on building an integrated, market-driven agricultural economy.
“Our mandate is to expand rural development while guaranteeing national food, feed, fibre, biofuel and seed security,” he said.
“This is underpinned by an integrated agricultural food system that drives both primary production and industrial development across diverse value chains.”
At the heart of this transformation is a structured, business-oriented production model built around 460 irrigation scheme business units covering 26 000 hectares, complemented by A1 and A2 farmers and organised smallholder clusters operating as viable enterprises.
The results have been striking.
During the National Development Strategy 1 period, ARDA’s output surged exponentially, while its balance sheet expanded by 570 percent, underscoring resilience even in the face of climate shocks, including the El Niño-induced drought of 2023-2024.
In a major national intervention, ARDA produced 68 percent of Zimbabwe’s wheat requirements, delivering 186 000 tonnes, with over 106 000 tonnes channelled towards social welfare support, a critical buffer for vulnerable communities.
Parallel to production gains has been rapid expansion in irrigation infrastructure, with renewable energy-powered systems growing from 6 000 acres in 2016 to 15 000 acres last year, strengthening climate resilience and reducing dependence on rainfall.
Beyond the fields, ARDA is driving a quiet but powerful agro-industrial revolution.
Processing plants have been revived and modernised, now handling up to 196 000 bottled products per day, while facilities process 100 000 kilogrammes of produce daily, including tomatoes, guavas and mangoes, signalling a decisive shift from raw production to value addition and beneficiation.
This industrial thrust is being reinforced by cutting-edge technologies. Artificial intelligence and machine learning models are now deployed for real-time crop monitoring and yield estimation, supported by satellite imaging, GIS mapping and high-capacity soil testing systems analysing up to 33 000 samples per season.
Digital innovation is also reshaping farmer access. A USSD-based platform now enables farmers to access inputs, mechanisation services, soil testing, market intelligence and integrated payment systems, bridging the gap between rural producers and formal markets.
On the ground, the transformation is being driven through the commercialisation of village business units (VBUs), with a national target of 35 000 units supported by 68 vocational training centres.
These horticulture-based production hubs are structured as professional enterprises, integrating water access, nutrition security and market participation.
Through these systems, rural households are being drawn into fully integrated value chains, from production to processing and export.
The impact is already extending beyond the country’s borders.
Exports have begun to scale, with over 422 000 Hass avocados and more than 100 000 chillies penetrating the Chinese market, while regional trade opportunities are being unlocked under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Mr Mhiko said the strategy is that they will scale irrigation, deepen technology-driven agriculture, expand export markets and accelerate rural agro-industrialisation.
“There is a direct link between production and the development of collective economies,” he noted. “You cannot build a strong rural industrial base on weak production performance.”
That philosophy has underpinned a deliberate shift towards science-led agriculture, including emerging technologies such as GPS-enabled robotics and drone-based precision spraying, designed to reduce costs while improving efficiency and accuracy.
At a broader level, the transformation reflects a growing recognition that agriculture must function as both a science and a business, delivering productivity, profitability and sustainability.
With over 1,8 million households already impacted through integrated programmes such as the Green Agriculture Accelerator model, Zimbabwe’s rural economy is steadily being reconfigured into a network of productive, commercially viable hubs.
As climate change tightens its grip, the emphasis on irrigation, water management and region-specific cropping systems is expected to further strengthen resilience, ensuring consistent production across agro-ecological zones.
Ultimately, ARDA’s expanding footprint signals more than just increased output, it marks a structural shift towards food sovereignty, export-led growth and inclusive rural development, positioning agriculture as a cornerstone of the country’s march towards an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
