Tendai Gukutikwa
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
MANICALAND has achieved a significant boost in food production during the 2024/25 season – having planted 277 663 hectares of maize, which is expected to yield at least 394 326 metric tonnes at an average yield of 1,42 tonnes per hectare.
This represents a remarkable 250 percent increase in production, compared to 112 765 metric tonnes produced last season.
Notably, some farmers in the province this season achieved impressive yields of between four and 10 tonnes per hectare.
The significant rise in production levels across all food crops in the province is a welcome recovery from the devastating El Niño-induced drought that compromised the 2023/24 season yields.
According to the final Crops, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment Report released recently by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, Manicaland farmers successfully capitalised on the above-normal rainfall and timely distribution of farming inputs to produce a sufficient food supply for the province’s growing population.
Manicaland planted 277 663 hectares of maize, expected to produce 394 326 metric tonnes at an average yield of 1,42 tonnes per hectare – translating to increase of 250 percent in production.
Last season, the province planted 275 047ha with a low yield of 0,41 tonne per hectare, producing a paltry 112 765 metric tonnes.
Sorghum was planted on 53 310ha with a yield of 0,97 tonnes per hectare to give a production of 51 769 metric tonnes – which is a 780 percent increase from last year’s 5 883 metric tonnes.
Pearl millet (mhunga) had 40 780ha and produced 23 477 metric tonnes, which is a 585 percent increase when compared to last season. Finger millet was on 7 388ha and produced 1992 metric tonnes, against last year’s 1023mt, which is 95 percent increase.
Cotton production has seen a significant boost this season, with 20 020 hectares planted, up from 11 411 hectares last season. As a result, production is expected to rise by 172 percent to 8 058 metric tonnes.
Soya bean production has also experienced a remarkable increase, jumping 517 percent due to an expansion in hectarage from 194 hectares to 1 097 hectares this season.
Meanwhile, sesame production in Chipinge has witnessed a 181 percent surge, driven by more farmers adopting the lucrative crop.
This season, 11 275 hectares were dedicated to sesame, a substantial increase from 903 hectares last year.
Additionally, yield per hectare has improved from 0,2 to 0,4 tonnes.
In addition to cotton, soya beans, and sesame, other food crops and oil seeds such as sunflowers, groundnuts, roundnuts, sugar beans, African peas, and sweet potatoes also saw growth in both hectares planted and production.
Tobacco production increased by 50 percent, with 25 625 hectares planted, up from 17 795 hectares last season.
The province also made a significant contribution to the national milk output, accounting for 27 percent with a total of 30 739 450 litres produced.
The reported highlighted the need for increased investment in irrigation infrastructure to ensure consistent food production. Over-reliance on rainfall, left the country vulnerable to the effects of drought, as seen during the previous season’s El Niño-induced drought.
The report revealed that Buhera and Mutare districts are among 10 districts nationwide that will require food assistance due to inadequate rainfall and low harvests during the current season.
The report indicates that Buhera and Mutare, along with eight other districts –Kariba, Rushinga, Mudzi, Kwekwe, Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Chivi, and Mangwe – will need food aid by October 2025, while Gweru, Hwange, and Beitbridge – will require assistance even earlier.
Buhera and Mutare, situated in Manicaland, fall within natural ecological regions three, four and five, which makes cultivating food crops, except for small grains, particularly challenging.
Additionally, the limited perennial rivers and dams in the two districts restrict their irrigation capabilities, making it difficult to supplement rainfall.
“Zimbabwe’s food security and food sovereignty thrusts are based on reducing, eliminating and eventually delinking rainfall and food agriculture. Innovations along all nodes of the production chain from ideation, breeding, agronomy, soil health, nutrients, mechanization, water and irrigation systems, pest and diseases, loss and waste reduction and food consumption patterns-are required, highlighting the need for more holistic and collaborative, cooperative and coordinated private sector and public sector partnerships.
“The estimated maize production is 2 293 556 metric tonnes, representing a 261 percent increase from the production in the 2023/2024 season, illustrating the recovery from the devastating effects of the EL Nino weather phenomenon experienced in the previous season.
“Maize production is dominated by the communal areas sector, which contributes 57 percent of the area, yet only 39 percent of the maize volume due to low yields, while the A1 sector contributes 19 percent of the area and 28 percent of the volume,” said the report.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka emphasised the importance of producing key farming inputs locally to reduce production costs. He also stressed that the commercialisation of agricultural activities should begin at the household level.
“Agriculture should be viewed as a business irrespective of scale-from household to corporate level-necessitating further capacitation of farmers through farmer field schools, AGRTEX Business Advisors and value chain actors.
“Localisation of the production of key farming inputs, such as fertilisers, which constitutes 30 to 40 percent of the production cost per unit area, has not progressed at the desired pace, making farming more expansive than other jurisdictions. This matter deserves more urgent attention.
“The development and deployment of digital services to enhance value chain efficiencies- from ideation to production to marketing, to lower the cost of production and improve viability, profitability and sustainability, and to provide timely up to date policy and management information, should be accelerated,” said Minister Masuka.
Mutare Rural District Council chairman, Councillor Hopewell Muazeni said some villagers in communal areas will likely harvest insufficient maize to sustain them until the next season.
Councillor Muzaeni said while Mutare received better rains compared to the previous season, the rainfall was unevenly distributed.
Resettlement areas received more rain, resulting in better maize and crop production, while communal areas in Zimunya and Marange received less rain, leading to low harvests.
“The maize produced in communal areas may not last until the next farming season. Our hope lies in small grains, which thrive well in these areas. If not, we will have to rely on food aid from Central Government to ensure that no one starves,” said Councillor Muzaeni.
Minister Masuka also recommended measures to improve food production, including stopping imports of grain and buy locally to support farmers, accelerating Pfumvudza programme across all farmers and partnering with private sector on Village Business Units for value addition and beneficiation of produce.
“Climate-proofing agriculture should be accelerated at household and national levels through Pfumvudza and accelerated irrigation development. There has been a progressive increase in yields under Pfumvudza. Emphasis should, however, be made on agro-ecological tailoring of crops, and soil health and fertility management – two critical components of the sustainable intensive conservation farming practice Pfumvudza.
“To show gratitude for the support for social welfare, and to celebrate a good season, communities are mobilised so that each beneficiary household of the Presidential Input Scheme delivers 10kg grain to the Strategic Grain Reserve, with village heads delivering 15kg and chiefs 20kg each. This amount considers the need for households to replenish their household strategic stocks.
“All the Rural Development 8.0 schemes are vitally important for the attainment of Vision 2030 and should be adequately resourced. The private sector should be further mobilised and incentivized to invest in Village Business Units, to provide value chain financing, to provide offtake markets, and to provide aggregation, value addition and beneficiation services,” said Minister Masuka.
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