Farmers to benefit from US$2billion productivity programme

📅 Published: August 26, 2025

Curated by AllZimNews.com

Five banks have committed to providing additional working capital to the initiative. “My Government plans to allocate US$1,98 billion over 10 years as a loan for the Productivity Booster Kit Programme. “Our Vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030 remains anchored by a vibrant and robust agriculture sector. “We must continue to guarantee food security and food sovereignty, improved nutrition security and overall improvements in the quality of life of our people. “It is in this context, therefore, that my Government implemented the Agriculture, Food System and Rural Transformation Strategy: 2020-2025, which focuses on climate-smart agriculture, among other critical aspects,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said to support the Booster Kit Programme, Technical Service Centres would be established in each of the country’s 10 provinces to serve A1 farmers.

The centres, which will be run and operated by banks, will provide five functional services, namely Tillage services; Technical and Extension services; Irrigation and Mechanisation services; Harvest and Post-Harvest services and Monitoring and Evaluation services.

It is envisaged that, once capacitated, A1 farmers will be producing more than 10 million tonnes of grain per annum and contributing an extra US$6,14 billion to the agricultural sector GDP with an excess of US$1,59 billion in household disposable income. “Guided and inspired by our national development philosophy, Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo, let us join hands to build our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe. “In this spirit, I challenge our farmers, the youth and women to take up this transformational innovative initiative, which will have far-reaching impacts, spanning from the household level to the export potential of our country. “As we set our focus on the 2025/2026 summer cropping season, I call upon our farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture sector to continue with unity of purpose for the realisation of a successful season. “Scaling up preparations and improving our yields per hectare must be our key focus in the ongoing quest to realise maximum land utilisation,” said the President.

Last week, President Mnangagwa was in Japan for TICAD 9, which is a forum that brings together African countries and Japan to discuss areas of cooperation, partnership and investment.

On the sidelines, President Mnangagwa met the Head of the World Food Programme (WFP), Mrs Cindy McCaine, who indicated that they are ready to purchase grain from Zimbabwe for food-deficient countries.

As such, he said this called for increased production and productivity. “The onus, therefore, is on us, the people of Zimbabwe, to increase production output to feed ourselves, the region and beyond,” he said. “Together, through hard, honest work, focus and determination, the targets we set for ourselves in the agriculture sector to ensure food security and food sovereignty, as well as the establishment of viable agroindustries and other related value chains, are indeed becoming a reality. ”To date, the area under irrigation has increased from 175 000 hectares in 2019 to 222 000 hectares in 2025, which represents a 27 percent increase, the fastest irrigation development phase since Independence in 1980.

President Mnangagwa said these ongoing efforts had seen the country attaining yields of 1,8 million tonnes, which is equivalent to the country’s annual food and feed requirements. “The devastating effects of the El Niño-induced drought during the 2023/2024 season, among other experiences, have shown us the urgent need to climate-proof agriculture. “To this end, we have set for ourselves an ambitious and achievable target to develop 496 000 hectares of land under irrigation by 2030, with over 350 000 hectares under summer cereal production. “I, therefore, applaud efforts by stakeholders in the agriculture sector for the milestones realised in irrigation development. “Scaling up preparations and improving our yields per hectare must be our key focus in the ongoing quest to realise maximum land utilisation,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said at the national level, the Government was climate-proofing agriculture through extensive dam construction. “A corresponding development of modern irrigation systems is being prioritised and scaled up. “Under our ongoing irreversible national thrust of being a nation capable of feeding itself, irrigation development has become an invaluable tool in our fight against the adverse effects of climate change,” he said.

Due to the existential threat of climate change, the President said it was necessary that the country builds greater resilience, as well as adaptation and mitigation strategies. “In this regard, my Government has embarked on an array of climate-smart agriculture initiatives. “These interventions are at two levels, beginning at the household level.

The sustainable intensive Conservation Agriculture Model, popularly known as Pfumvudza / Intwasa, has been widely adopted and has helped to bolster our food security mix. “This is being complemented by the matching of specific crops to the respective agro-ecological regions of our country. “It is commendable that these practices have led to a threefold increase in the production and productivity of maize and sorghum, as well as improved household food security and incomes,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the Government had explored several initiatives and financing models available to support investments in irrigation systems for A2 farmers. “The Accelerated Irrigation Investment Conference, which was held on 5 July 2024, under the umbrella of the Irrigation Development Alliance, a government-private sector consortium, has resulted in accelerated irrigation development. “It is pleasing that implementation is now underway, with notable projects having started, for the development of 37 500 hectares. “We commend the private sector for playing its part towards mobilisation of the requisite funding, with Government being the guarantor.

This is in keeping with our private sector-led economic development thrust and the mantra ‘Zimbabwe is open for business. ’“Going forward, I invite more participants to collaborate with Government, farmers, and communities to expand irrigation development, including enhancing local capacities for climate change adaptation and resilience,” he said.

On the title deeds programme, the President said they should have spill-over effects that drive the ongoing rural industrialisation, and the nationwide transition from subsistence farming, to farming as a business. “Meanwhile, in 2024, I launched a more secure tenure for A1 and A2 farmers in the form of transferable and bankable title deeds. “These title deeds, as collateral, will enable many more of our farmers to access affordable financing towards increased production and productivity, mechanisation and on-farm infrastructure development. “Today, I will be handing over title deeds to 1 000 farmers under the Presidential Title Deeds Programme,” he said.

The President commended stakeholders for making the booster kit programme a success. “I applaud all stakeholders for their collaboration and partnerships, which have seen the launch of the Production Booster Kit Programme, marking a significant step in our total empowerment journey, towards Vision 2030,” he said.