Vusumuzi DubeJudith Phiri
Business Reporter
THE Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is offering technical assistance to the Government of Zimbabwe in crafting a National Agricultural and Livestock Census (NALC) Plan of Action.
The initiative is aimed at addressing structural gaps in agricultural statistics thereby facilitating evidence-based transformation of agrifood systems.
In an official statement, the FAO announced that it is also aiding the Government in compiling and updating its national food balance sheet (FBS). Additionally, the organization is working on developing a comprehensive project document for the agricultural and livestock census to help the Government mobilize the necessary resources for this critical agricultural undertaking.
“This collaboration forms part of FAO’s broader efforts to enhance Zimbabwe’s agricultural data systems and ensure food security for its population. For the next two weeks, senior statisticians and economists from key strategic sectors will convene in Harare to discuss and document data needs, methodological considerations, overall planning and the required resources for executing the agricultural and livestock census, in accordance with the FAO’s World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA 2020),” the statement read.
Simultaneously, Government professionals will update existing data on food availability for human consumption, covering essential metrics such as calories, fats, minerals, proteins, vitamins and other macro and micronutrients per capita per day. This effort supports the Government’s food security and nutrition policies.
FAO Regional Statistician for Africa, Mr Dominique Habimana, emphasized that the NALC project document is a crucial step toward implementing the agricultural census, serving as one of the primary statistical outputs of Zimbabwe’s Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics (2025-2029) and the Zimbabwe National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (2022-2026).
He stated, “The upcoming NALC will provide a snapshot of the current state of the agricultural sector and act as a baseline for various agricultural subsectors through complete enumeration. Furthermore, the NALC will create a robust sampling frame for future agricultural surveys.”
Zimbabwe has not conducted an agricultural census since gaining independence, resulting in a lack of updated structural data and sampling frames necessary for the effective design and implementation of sample surveys. In response to the Government’s request for technical assistance, the FAO has mobilized resources for the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP).
The development of the NALC project document and the update of the national food balance sheet are among the key activities discussed and agreed upon with the Government.
Mrs. Matiwonesa Phiri, Director of the Production Statistics Division at the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), stated, “We prioritize the production of high-quality agricultural statistics to support informed decision-making and effective policy formulation in the agricultural sector. The development of the NALC project document reflects FAO’s strong commitment to assisting the Government of Zimbabwe in tackling food security and agricultural production challenges by providing necessary statistical data to bridge existing gaps.”
The project document will provide a framework for planning and executing the Agriculture Census and serve as a resource mobilization tool for ZIMSTAT to acquire the necessary support and resources for successful implementation.
Key stakeholders from the Government and donor community will review and validate the draft NALC project document on 30 January 2025. This document will be an essential instrument for resource mobilization, paving the way for the census’s implementation once the necessary resources are secured.
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