Lands ministry achieves only 30% of NDS1 targets

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has revealed that it has achieved only 30% of its targets under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), as the agricultural sector continues to grapple with low productivity, subdued export levels, and high production costs.

Under NDS1, the government set ambitious targets to transform the agriculture sector, which include increasing food self-sufficiency from 45% to 100% by 2025, reducing food insecurity from 25% to below 10%, and boosting agricultural production and productivity, particularly among smallholder farmers.

The strategy also aims to ensure that 80% of the agriculture sector’s raw material needs are met through local inputs and to build a US$12 billion agriculture economy by 2025.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry, Professor Obert Jiri, acknowledged that the sector is far from reaching these goals, highlighting the need to modernise agriculture and address critical bottlenecks such as access to land, water, technology, and markets.

“We still have so much to do to be able to impact the country and the economy. I think if we decide to measure ourselves, we are still at a 3 out of 10,” Professor Jiri said.

“We need to be able to convert the production and productivity into value addition and beneficiation to be able to get the necessary exports and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product [GDP],” he added.

Professor Jiri stressed that investing in agriculture remains one of the most effective ways to uplift livelihoods and drive economic growth.

“Any investment in agriculture is twice as powerful in improving livelihoods and contributing to GDP than any other industry,” he noted.

However, he conceded that current efforts have fallen short.

“We have not done enough. We still need to ensure that we are able to attract the right investments. We still need to get to the right levels of productivity. We still need to have a situation where we can reduce the cost of production,” Professor Jiri said.

He further emphasised the need for the sector to play a greater role in driving exports.

“Agriculture has the potential to contribute as much as 33% to the GDP, but is still hovering around 12%,” he said.

“When we are hit by El Niño and other weather vagaries, you know, for example, we go down 12%. We don’t want to do that. We need to consistently contribute to the GDP in order for us to gain that breadbasket status and that label as an agro-based economy. So, we have not yet got there,” Professor Jiri said.

As part of the full realisation of NDS1, the government is promoting climate-smart agriculture practices, irrigation development—targeting 350,000 hectares—and investing in research into resilient crop and livestock varieties.

Despite Zimbabwe’s agricultural potential, low levels of value addition have undermined the sector’s contribution to the economy. For instance, only 3% of the country’s total tobacco production is processed locally, significantly reducing the sector’s export revenue.

The country has the potential to earn as much as US$60 billion in tobacco export revenue, but currently realises only about US$1.6 billion.

“Fostering value addition, agro-business development, and diversification of agricultural products for both domestic and export markets,” reads part of the government document outlining the strategy.

Localising value chains to reduce imports, enhance exports, and create employment opportunities remains a critical priority for the government.

Authorities have underscored the importance of collaborative efforts among farmers, researchers, private sector players, and extension officers for the successful implementation of these initiatives.

Despite agriculture being the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy, the sector has been plagued by numerous challenges, including climate shocks, limited investment inflows, and inadequate access to modern farming technologies.

Crucially, the sector has struggled to meet the food demands of Zimbabwe’s growing population, as well as the raw material requirements of the country’s industries.

In line with NDS1, the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy (AFSTS) aims to treble agricultural output by 2030. The success of AFSTS hinges on four critical pillars: an enabling agricultural policy environment, appropriate levels of investment, robust research and development initiatives, and the modernisation of the sector.

It also calls for a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of agricultural interventions.

While the challenges are significant, experts say the sector holds immense potential to drive economic growth, improve livelihoods, and restore Zimbabwe’s status as a regional breadbasket—provided the necessary reforms and investments are urgently pursued.