Joint ventures drive productivity as 4 000 partnerships emerge nationwide

ZIMBABWE’S agricultural joint venture (JV) model continues to gain momentum, with nearly 4 000 partnerships now established nationwide as Government intensifies efforts to maximise land utilisation and boost production.

The JV framework, operationalised in 2020, was designed to match land reform beneficiaries with investors, allowing farmers to access capital, infrastructure and technical expertise while unlocking the full productive potential of their land.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said the model has become one of the most effective tools for driving agricultural growth and ensuring food self-sufficiency.

“To allow our farmers to be productive and to utilise their land fully, we encourage joint ventures, which is where a farmer with a farm land resource joins hands with someone with good investment,” said Prof Jiri.

He, however, emphasised that joint ventures are not meant to be permanent arrangements, but stepping stones towards farmer independence.

“But we also don’t want someone to be in a joint venture forever. We want the farmers to graduate,” he said.
“The whole point of creating a joint venture is so that you are productive, you get money, reinvest in the farm. So we expect that as the farmer goes on, they are able to stand on their own feet.”

Prof Jiri said the programme has recorded significant uptake, building on earlier milestones where over 2 500 joint ventures covering between 150 000 and 200 000 hectares had already been approved.

“We have seen a lot of investors coming in and they are still coming in. I think in the last count, we have almost 4 000 joint ventures going around,” he said.

Prof Jiri said the initiative has attracted investment into agriculture through mechanisation, irrigation development and improved access to working capital, contributing to increased productivity across the sector.

At Nkunzani Farm, the success of the joint venture model is evident in the transformation of farmer Mr Godfrey Nkunzani, who has since transitioned from partnership to operating independently.

Mr Nkunzani said the joint venture arrangement played a pivotal role in capacitating him to scale up production.

“The joint venture gave me the capital, infrastructure and technical skills to fully utilise my land. It was a learning process that allowed me to grow as a farmer,” he said.

Having graduated from the partnership, Mr Nkunzani has expanded operations, planting 26 hectares of maize and nine hectares of soya beans during the current season, while also renting additional land from neighbouring farms.

He has also planted one hectare of potatoes, which are now being harvested, further boosting output at the farm.

“As I progressed, I was able to reinvest into the farm and stand on my own. Now I am even renting more land to increase production,” he said.

Mr Nkunzani has also diversified into small-scale fish farming as part of efforts to enhance resilience and broaden income streams.

“I am now venturing into fish farming as a way of diversifying and making the farm more sustainable,” he said.
As Zimbabwe pushes to achieve food self-sufficiency and maximise agricultural output, joint ventures are increasingly emerging as a critical pathway — not only for boosting productivity, but also for nurturing a new generation of independent and commercially driven farmers.