Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve Victoria Falls Reporter
ZIMBABWE is witnessing growth in horticultural production that is not only reducing the nation’s import bill but also rekindling hopes of reclaiming its former title as the ‘breadbasket of Africa’.
The remarkable agricultural turnaround is driven by strategic irrigation and a surge in high-value crop production, with the sector proving resilient to climate shocks and becoming a cornerstone of national food and economic security.
The nation’s agricultural fortunes, once dimmed by drought and economic challenges, are being brightly lit by the thriving horticulture sub-sector.
Official data confirms that Zimbabwe has achieved self-sufficiency in several key vegetables, halting imports entirely for staples like potatoes and cabbage.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, has revealed the emphatic assessment of the sector’s performance.
“From our last crop assessment, we saw that horticulture is performing very well. Of course, it is not largely affected by these droughts because horticulture is ordinarily produced under irrigation. But for potato, for example, we are producing excess. We need 9 750 hectares of potato countrywide.
We have done more than 5000, and now in this second half of the year, we expect farmers to do more than the 4 000 that is left. So we are really seeing more and more farmers, particularly those who are in the peri-urban and closer to major cities, going into these high-value horticultural crops.
“We are not importing any potato because we are producing more than enough. We are not importing cabbage, rap, and so forth, all these smaller crops, because we are producing more than enough. Of course, we still have pockets where these are required here in Zimbabwe in huge quantities. Our resort areas, Victoria Falls, require large quantities of vegetables for the horticultural business, and we need our farmers to focus there. But by and large, we are seeing real growth in terms of horticulture. Potato, pecan nut is on the rise. Blueberry is also on the rise. Chili is also on the rise. Snape bean is also on the rise. Most of the horticultural crops are really on the rise,” said Prof Jiri.
This growth is not accidental. It is the result of concerted efforts by both small-scale and commercial farmers, particularly those in peri-urban areas, who are pivoting towards irrigated, high-value crops that guarantee better returns and are less vulnerable to erratic rainfall.
The boom extends beyond vegetables to include export-oriented crops like blueberries, pecans, and chilies, which are earning the country crucial foreign currency.
Complementing the horticulture success is the robust Winter Cereals Plan, which aims to ensure national grain self-sufficiency.
The Government has targeted 135 500 hectares for winter cropping, comprising 120 000 hectares for wheat, 6 500 hectares for barley, and 9 000 hectares for potatoes
