Online Reporter
Tamuka Mukiwa, Zimpapers Writer
ZIMBABWE’S largest diversified media group, Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers), in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, will host the Oilseeds Conference on May 22, 2025 in Kadoma.
The conference will bring together industry stakeholders, policymakers, and experts to deliberate on key issues affecting the oilseeds sector, including market trends, business opportunities and strategic partnerships.
The oilseeds sector has been identified as a low-hanging fruit for advancing the Government’s goals of import substitution, rural industrialisation and smallholder farmer empowerment through sustainable oilseed production and value addition.
In 2021, the Government declared cotton and sunflower as strategic oilseed crops and reclassified soya bean from an “oilseed crop” to a “feed and oilseed crop”.
“The reason we partnered with the Ministry is that the cotton industry was on the verge of collapse, prompting Government intervention through the introduction of free cotton inputs in the 2015/16 season.
“Although cotton production has rebounded since the programme’s inception, productivity remains low and fluctuates with seasonal quality, underscoring the need to intensify climate-proofing interventions,” said Mr Obert Chifamba, Agriculture Editor of The Herald, a key publication under Zimpapers’ Digital and Publishing (DAP) division.
While Zimbabwe has successfully localised cooking oil production — thanks to over US$100 million in foreign and local investment since dollarisation in 2009 — a concerning trend has emerged: a sharp rise in oilseed imports.
The country still imports over US$300 million worth of oils annually, highlighting the urgent need to boost local production of cotton, sunflower and soya bean, to address this imbalance. Such imports undermine the import substitution agenda by draining foreign currency and exporting jobs. The industry has an installed oil-crushing capacity of approximately 449 000 tonnes, much of which remains idle due to insufficient raw materials.
In line with the rural industrialisation drive, import substitution, and job retention, Zimpapers is organising a one-day oilseeds workshop aimed at reviving sustainable production of cotton, sunflower and soya bean. The event will revisit the success factors of previous years — such as high yields, expanded cultivation areas, increased Government support and climate suitability.
Additionally, the conference will showcase business opportunities in value-added segments such as cotton ginning and oilseed crushing for the production of edible oils and stock feeds at the local level. Key challenges in cotton production include side-marketing and ensuring that farmers, who receive Government inputs use them for their intended purpose.
There are differing interpretations regarding “free cotton”. Some argue that under volume-based contracts, farmers are only required to sell 800 kilogrammes of seed cotton per hectare, with the remainder considered “free cotton”. Others contend that no free cotton is available this year, as no producers registered with the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) for that purpose.
“We see this as an opportunity for all players in the cotton industry to gain clarity on the legal provisions outlined in statutory instruments (SIs) regarding free cotton, to avoid confusion. This conference will also provide a platform for the sunflower and soya bean value chains to engage with Government policymakers, sponsors and investors,” Mr Chifamba said.
He also highlighted broader challenges facing the oilseeds industry, including inadequate input supply and delayed payments, which often lead to side-marketing.
“We hope to bring all stakeholders together to assess the current state of the industry and explore collaborative solutions,” he said.
