Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
THE gross value of agriculture production is projected to rise by 53 percent from US$10,3 billion in the 2024/25 season to US$15,8 billion by 2030/31, driven by strong growth across various sub-sectors.
This is contained in the country’s new agriculture roadmap, the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2: 2026-30 (AFSRTS 2) , which succeeds AFSRTS 1, which runs its course by end of this year.
Under AFSRTS 2, Zimbabwe seeks to be a food, feed, bio-oils and bio-fuels secure agro-industrial hub by 2030 and move away from the food basket status of the past.
The 53 percent growth will be anchored by an increase in food crop, horticulture, fisheries, milk, indigenous chicken and broiler meat production and growth in the cattle herd.
As Zimbabwe targets its 2030 objective of being a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society, the agriculture sector plays a key role in actualisation of that vision.
Under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), National Agriculture Policy Framework (NAPF), AFSRTS 1 and Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan (HRGP) the agriculture sector’s gross value rose by 98 percent from US$5,2 billion in 2019 to US$10.3 billion last year.
“The agricultural sector grew 4,1 percent in 2020, 17.5 percent in 2021, 6.2 percent in 2022 and 6.3 percent in 2023.
“As a result of the El Nino drought, agriculture experienced a negative growth of 18 percent in 2024 but the 2025 growth is projected to grow 21 percent,” read AFTRTS 2.
Wheat, tobacco, milk, horticulture growth over the past years have led to the rise in agriculture production.
Wheat area has quintupled from 23 820 hectares in 2019 to 122 000 this year.
Production surged by 522 percent from 100 044 tonnes in 2019 to the current 622 141 tonnes this year as a result of increased productivity.
The tobacco value chain contributes significantly to agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export revenues thereby aiding national economic growth.
Last year the country earned US$1,4 billion from tobacco exports, a 40 percent surge from US$1 billion in 2022.
Tobacco production supports more than 130 000 households and accounts for more than 50 percent of agricultural exports and between 14 and 20 percent of the agriculture GDP.
It also contributes between five and 10 percent of the national GDP.
Over eight years, the Zimbabwean dairy industry has recorded a 74 percent increase in raw milk production from 66 million litres in 2017 to 115 litres last year.
The dairy herd has also increased 72 percent over the same period.
The nation requires 131 million litres of milk for self-sufficiency and from last year’s production of 115 million litres, an additional 16 million litres need to be added to achieve the self-sufficiency goal.
The horticulture sector expects its exports to rise 317 percent from US$120 million in 2024 to US$500 million next year as it lays its development plan up to 2030.
To achieve the 2030 milestones the 2025/26-time frame will be the brand launch period where bankable programmes and initial investments are secured.
