Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Zimpapers Business Hub
The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has partnered with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) to develop interventions to transform agriculture through the Zimbabwe Legacy Programme.
Agra, formerly known as the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa, is a non-profit organisation founded in 2006 to improve agricultural practices in Africa, with the goals of doubling the income of 20 million farmers and halving food insecurity in 20 countries by 2020.
The Zimbabwe Legacy Programme, also known as the Zimbabwe Programme for Agricultural Transformation (Zipat), is an investment roadmap for accelerating the growth and transformation of the agricultural sector.
Agriculture is crucial to Zimbabwe’s economy, serving as the backbone of the nation. The sector’s direct contribution to gross domestic product is around 11 to 14 percent and provides livelihoods for approximately 70 percent of the population, while it serves as a major source of raw materials for the industrial sector.
Furthermore, about 60 percent of Zimbabweans rely on agriculture for their income. Officiating the validation workshop for the programme recently in Harare, the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Obert Jiri said the Legacy Zimbabwe Programme was a critical step towards transforming Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, aligning with Vision 2030 goals for a prosperous, diverse, sustainable and competitive agricultural sector.
“By fostering investment, innovation and technology in agriculture, we aim to boost productivity, ensure food security, and enhance economic growth,” said Prof Jiri.
“In line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), as well as the upcoming NDS2 and the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy (AFSTS), with all its blueprints, the main thrust is to accelerate the development of key value chains to improve production, productivity and resilience among the farming communities in the agriculture sector. We have set ourselves a target to transform the sector to US$13,75 billion by the end of 2025 and become food, feed, oil and fibre secure.”
To achieve this, Prof Jiri said a structured plan, supported by an investment roadmap that profiles investment opportunities, priority value chains, and packages bankable and data-driven investment priorities, was a prerequisite.
The sector is fraught with unlimited investment opportunities, but packaging them in a way that is attractive to potential investors is very critical.
Prof Jiri said the ministry successfully developed the Zimbabwe Agriculture Investment Plan (ZAIP) II, supported by the spatially disaggregated plans; the Provincial Agriculture Investment Plans (PAIPs) for all the provinces, in line with the Government’s devolution agenda.
“We also have a National Agriculture Investment Prospectus (NAIP) in place, to drive and localise investments in the sector,” he said.
“We gathered in Chinhoyi this year in April, for a robust training for the development of the Legacy Programme.
“Seven value chains were prioritised at that workshop as a stepping stone for the development of the Legacy programme, because this programme takes a value chain approach.”
Further to that, the ministry conducted an extensive data collection exercise for the seven prioritised value chains (maize, soyabean, sunflower, blueberries, dairy, beef and poultry), to have a more informed position on the issues along these value chains.
The process had informed the development of the data-driven Zimbabwe Legacy Programme.
Prof Jiri said the Legacy Programme encompassed all the key investment priorities, transcending mere policy aimed at revolutionising the agricultural landscape, enhancing investment, and securing food systems for future generations.
At the heart of the Legacy Programme lies a commitment to establishing a framework that highlights investment opportunities in the agricultural sector through a detailed and structured investment roadmap.
“This initiative is not only a response to the pressing challenges we face, rather it is a proactive approach to building a resilient agricultural sector capable of delivering sustainable benefits to all stakeholders,” said Prof Jiri.
“As acknowledged by experts in the field, the agricultural sector serves as both a catalyst for economic development and a cornerstone of social stability.”
In the immediate term, Prof Ncube said this programme would be pitched at the Africa Food Summit in Dakar that will be held from August 31 to September 5, 2025, but it has life after that in continuing as the critical tool in unlocking investments in the sector.
