Nyasha Simbisai

Agriculture Correspondent

An organised farmer group that began with 15 young producers in 2023 has grown into the Strategic Grain Reserve 200-hectare Plus Club, with some members now putting 10 000 to 15 000 hectares under production through joint ventures.

The expansion comes as Government intensifies efforts to lift productivity and strengthen national food security ahead of volatile rainfall seasons.

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said on Thursday the group’s growth showed how organised production could complement state programmes.

 

“What started as a Government initiative to encourage production and productivity on farms through joint ventures has now matured.

“We started in 2023 with a group of about 15 young, upcoming farmers who were producing grain for the country. In 2026, the group has matured and formalised, giving birth to the SGR200 Plus Club,” he said.

Membership requires a minimum of 200 hectares under production, but farmers can meet it through joint ventures. Prof Jiri said several members had leveraged such partnerships to manage between 10 000 and 15 000 hectares.

The club is producing strategic crops — maize and soya beans — based on agro-ecological suitability in line with the Government’s agricultural tailoring policy.

 

“Where they need to put soya, they put soya. Where they can put maize, they put maize. We are really working together with them,” Prof Jiri said.

The group built a production track record before seeking state and bank support, a factor Prof Jiri said made it bankable.

“What we have seen with this particular grouping is that they started with producing and proving themselves that they can produce. They then approached Government and later the financiers,” he said.

Organised groups are preferred by lenders and Government because they are simply funding coordination, target-setting and performance monitoring.

 

“The more organised producers are, the better. Banks and financiers also look at organised producers like these.

“In our funding models for Government programmes, we appreciate organised groups because we can establish how much they are targeting and how much they have produced,” he said.

To mitigate climate risk, members are rolling out centre-pivot irrigation for maize and wheat while large-scale farmers are extending irrigation to smaller partners in joint ventures to de-risk output amid increasing rainfall variability.

The group operates a “Hub and spoke” mentorship model where established farmers support emerging producers with under 200 hectares until they qualify as full members.

 

“The bigger farmer carries them until they grow into becoming full members with at least 200 hectares under production,” Prof Jiri said.

The SGR200 Plus Club has set up national and regional committees to coordinate operations and engagement with Government, financiers and other stakeholders.

Government pledged continued support.

“We are fully supporting what they are doing and encouraging them to continue producing for the country. Organised groups work best for us because they help us push the Government agenda and achieve national production targets,” he said.