Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Online Reporter
THE Government is targeting a US$15.8 billion agriculture industry by 2030, buoyed by great strides that the industry has made in the last six years under the transformative policies of the Second Republic.
This was said by Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Professor Obert Jiri, during the World Food Day commemorations held at Matopos Research Institute on Thursday.
“On 29 October 2025, His Excellency the President Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa launched the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 (AFSRTS 2) for 2026-2030.
This new strategy is our sectoral implementation plan for the National Development Strategy 2, guiding us towards the attainment of Vision 2030. Our new target is to build a USD 15.8 billion agriculture industry by 2030,” said Dr Masuka.
“When we launched the first Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy in 2020, we set an ambitious target: to grow the sector from a USD 5.2 billion industry to USD 8.2 billion by 2025.
“It is with great pride that through the relentless efforts of our farmers and the supportive policies of the Second Republic, we have surpassed that target. Despite facing the worst drought in forty years during the 2023/2024 season, our agricultural sector has grown to become a USD 10.3 billion industry,” said the Minister.
He said the country has recorded improved wheat production while the industry has witnessed the rebirth of the horticulture sector with blueberries and avocados earning crucial foreign currency.
“Our livestock herd is recovering, and our irrigation capacity is expanding. Food security in our rural households has improved from 44 percent in 2020 to 85 percent. These are not just statistics; they are stories of transformed lives and communities.”
