Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
ZIMBABWE’S farmers have endorsed the Government’s land tenure reforms, saying the issuance of secure and bankable title deeds will unlock investment, mechanisation and the full economic potential of agricultural land.
The farmers said the reforms would consolidate the gains of the Land Reform Programme by providing greater certainty over land while creating opportunities for farmers to access finance and make long-term investments.
The position emerged from a high-level stakeholder engagement on land tenure reforms held in Harare recently, which brought together Government, farmers, financial institutions, agribusiness leaders, legal experts, development partners and traditional leaders.
Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) 200-Hectare-Plus Club vice chairperson Mr Simba Mugariri said farmers welcomed the direction being taken by the Land Tenure Implementation Committee.
“As the Strategic Grain Reserve 200-Hectare-Plus Club and farmers supported by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), we are excited with the Government’s move on the Land Tenure Implementation Committee which is going on, where we are seeing that the gains of the Land Reform will not be reversed by the fact that we are now accessing title deeds, which are very much bankable,” he said.
Mr Mugariri said secure tenure would allow farmers to unlock the value of their land through investment and mechanisation.
“Which means you can now unlock all the potential value on that piece of land. You can invest, also knowing the certainty that surrounds the land which has title to it,” he said.
He said the reforms could also provide a foundation for building generational wealth and developing emerging farmers into commercial producers.
“And it is also testimony to the fact that it will translate into generational wealth as well, which means that the future of agriculture, whereby we are also mentoring emerging farmers and other aspiring farmers to grow into commercial farmers and thereby eradicating the food insecurity around the country,” Mr Mugariri said.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers union president Dr Shadreck Makombe said farmers were committed to supporting the reforms, describing secure tenure as a critical foundation for investment and agricultural growth.
“Secure land tenure is not simply about holding a document. It is about creating confidence for farmers to invest, access finance, mechanise, improve productivity and unlock the full economic value of agricultural land,” he said.
The stakeholder engagement was organised by the Stakeholders Engagement Subcommittee of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee as part of efforts to build consensus around the implementation of land tenure reforms.
Discussions focused on accelerating the issuance of title deeds, improving land administration, strengthening investor confidence and ensuring that the tenure system supports agricultural productivity.
A key issue was the need to make title deeds bankable, allowing farmers to use their land rights to unlock financing for productive investment.
The proposed One Stop Title Processing Centre is expected to streamline the processing of land documents while improving coordination among institutions involved in land administration.
The reforms are also expected to strengthen land administration and help address challenges such as double allocations, boundary disputes and illegal evictions.
The Government has maintained that the land tenure reforms are intended to strengthen the gains of the Land Reform Programme by providing greater security of tenure while facilitating investment and productivity on agricultural land.
