Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
ZIMBABWE has achieved a major milestone in its drive for agricultural self-sufficiency, with the country going three consecutive years without importing wheat seed, while ARDA Seeds (Private) Limited has sets its sights on producing more seed than the nation’s annual requirements.
ARDA Seeds, whose shareholder is the Mutapa Investment Fund, is targeting production of 16 000 tonnes of certified wheat seed per cycle, surpassing Zimbabwe’s annual requirement of about 14 000 tonnes and strengthening the country’s capacity to sustain wheat production through locally produced seed.
The development comes as Government continues implementing reforms to transform strategic State assets into commercially driven institutions capable of contributing to national development.
In 2023, President Mnangagwa’s administration established the Mutapa Investment Fund to improve the management, performance and value of strategic State institutions.
ARDA Seeds was among the entities transferred into the Fund’s portfolio, where it now falls under the agricultural cluster alongside other key companies, with a focus on strengthening agricultural value chains, seed development and food security.
Speaking during a tour of contracted seed wheat fields at Granite Flat Farm in Makoni District, ARDA Seeds general manager for Operations, Mr Innocent Musiiwa, said the company was scaling up production to ensure Zimbabwe had sufficient supplies of quality seed for future wheat seasons.
He said ARDA Seeds currently contracts 1 000 hectares of seed wheat nationally, producing about 8 000 metric tonnes of certified seed per production cycle.
“The seed that we are producing this year is supposed to feed into production cycles for next season,” said Mr Musiiwa.
“In terms of cycles and our production volumes per cycle, we do contract about 1 000 hectares to produce about 8 000 metric tonnes of seed per cycle. We want to scale up to 2 000 hectares, which would then produce 16 000 metric tonnes, probably by next year.”
Mr Musiiwa said private seed producers remained critical partners in ensuring the country meets its national wheat seed requirement.
“The private sector is complementing our efforts because this is a national requirement. Together, we are ensuring farmers have access to adequate certified seed,” he said.
The expansion of local seed production marks a shift from dependence on imported seed and reinforces Zimbabwe’s efforts to rebuild its agricultural capacity.
ARDA Seeds Board vice chairperson Dr Patience Siwali said the country had made significant progress in developing a local seed system capable of supporting the wheat value chain.
“For a long time, wheat was imported in Zimbabwe. But I must say for the last three years we have not imported seed,” she said.
“We are on the route to reclaiming the breadbasket position. With such a crop as seed, it then goes into the actual production of the wheat in the next stage. We are so set on being the breadbasket once again. This is not a dream, it is a reality.”
Dr Siwali said ARDA Seeds was supporting contracted farmers with certified seed, fertilisers, crop protection chemicals, and agronomic expertise to ensure production of authentic, high-quality seed.
She said the company was also strengthening climate resilience through irrigation support to ensure production continues despite changing weather patterns.
“We understand the challenges of climate. We are going further to support irrigation, ensuring that the crop never lacks water,” she said.
“We know El Niño is coming, but we do not think it is going to affect us that much because we are preparing for it together with our farmers.”
A major driver of the programme is the locally bred Ncema hard wheat variety, developed to meet the quality requirements of millers and bakers while reducing reliance on imported hard wheat.
Mr Musiiwa said the medium-maturing spring wheat variety reaches physiological maturity in 125 to 130 days, has strong agronomic characteristics, and can achieve yields of up to 10 tonnes per hectare under optimum management.
At Granite Flat Farm, contracted farmer Mr Takudzwa Nyabadza said the ARDA Seeds partnership had transformed seed production by giving farmers access to technical expertise, inputs, and guaranteed markets.
“We are contracted by ARDA to grow seed wheat, the Ncema variety. It has turned out to be a very good variety for us. It grows well, it is very fast, and it is resistant to a lot of diseases that you sometimes get with other varieties,” he said.
“We get support from ARDA itself. We get support with inputs, agronomy services on what to do, when, and why, and we also get support from the market through the contract.”
Mr Nyabadza said the impact of quality seed production extended beyond contracted farms.
“The seed produced from this farm gets to farmers through programmes like the Presidential Input Scheme or through shops. They are guaranteed quality seed that grows well, gives good yields, and improves incomes in villages,” he said. Another contracted farmer, Mr Kamusasa Felix Farai, said he expected to harvest 480 metric tonnes from his 60 hectares of Ncema wheat.
“We are very happy to work with ARDA Seeds because they are helping us greatly with inputs, including seed, fertilisers and chemicals for weeds, pests and diseases,” he said.
The expansion of ARDA Seeds’ production capacity is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s wheat value chain, ensuring farmers have access to adequate local seed supplies while supporting national food security, import substitution, and agricultural transformation.
