Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
NAMIBIA is looking to draw lessons from Zimbabwe’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA)-backed farming model as it steps up efforts to strengthen food security and eradicate hunger, Kavango East Region Governor Hambyuka Hamunyera has said.
Governor Hamunyera made the remarks after touring Barwick L Farm, cultivated by Mr Phib Mutibura, and Victory Farm in Mashonaland West owned by Mr Tichaona Mapfoche on Monday.
Both farmers are supported by ARDA and are members of the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) 200 Hectare Plus Club, a Government initiative bringing together large-scale producers to bolster the country’s grain reserves.
The visit showcased Zimbabwe’s drive to increase agricultural production through strategic partnerships between Government, ARDA and commercial farmers.
Speaking after the tour, Governor Hamunyera said the farming practices he witnessed provided valuable lessons that Namibia could adopt in its own quest to improve food production.
“Thank you very much for having me and it is good that we are here visiting these farms,” he said.
He added: “So, one of my observations of what I am seeing here is that these farmers are doing a wonderful job. And when you compare it to where I come from, Namibia, Kavango East Region, we have farmers, but it is not the way they are doing it here.
“There is one thing which one has to learn from here, that what they are doing is wonderful, and we are ready in the few days or few years to come for us to say, ‘go away food insecurity, go away hunger, go away poverty’.
“We will be ready then to say to our community and our people that we are here and we are ready to assist you.”
Governor Hamunyera also commended the quality of crop management, saying the clean fields and irrigation infrastructure reflected sound agricultural practices capable of delivering reliable food production.
Mr Mapfoche said commended Government’s decision to strengthen ARDA.
“ARDA’s role in driving the national food security agenda by the Government has created a conducive environment for commercial farmers to increase production through coordinated technical support, mechanisation and access to modern farming technologies,” he said.
The authority’s partnership with farmers, he said, was enabling producers to contribute more meaningfully to the Strategic Grain Reserve while improving the efficiency of agricultural operations.
Mr Mutibura echoed the sentiments.
“ARDA’s support had enhanced productivity by ensuring farmers had access to critical production services and technical expertise,” said Mutibura.
He said the collaborative approach between Government, ARDA and farmers was strengthening confidence among producers while positioning agriculture as a key driver of rural economic development and national food security.
ARDA Operations and Commercial Production Director Mr Shingirai Jenah said the authority’s transformation into Zimbabwe’s National Food Security Agency had strengthened its capacity to drive large-scale grain production while building resilience against climate-induced shocks.
“ARDA has already surpassed its target of delivering 150 000 metric tonnes of grain to the Strategic Grain Reserve from the previous summer cropping season and is now targeting another 150 000 metric tonnes from the current winter wheat crop, followed by a further 150 000 metric tonnes from the forthcoming summer season,” said Mr Jenah.
He said preparations for the next summer cropping season were already underway, with ARDA targeting at least 75 000 hectares of irrigated maize, while the remaining hectarage would be devoted to climate-resilient traditional grains under dryland farming.
“The authority was also expanding climate-smart seed production to strengthen Zimbabwe’s agricultural resilience, with about 32 percent of production now financed directly by ARDA while the remainder was supported through bank guarantees,” he said.
Mr Jenah said ARDA plans to expand irrigation infrastructure to 25 000 hectares by 2030 as part of efforts to sustain production and reduce dependence on rainfall.
The growing regional interest in ARDA’s production model comes as Southern African countries intensify efforts to build resilient food systems in response to climate change, recurrent droughts and rising demand for agricultural output.
Zimbabwe has repositioned ARDA as its National Food Security Agency, leading commercial grain production, irrigation expansion, climate-smart agriculture and strategic grain reserve programmes, with its farmer support model increasingly attracting regional attention as a blueprint for strengthening food security.
