Zimbabwe is placing significant expectations on its agricultural sector, as it endeavours to implement robust models for rural agricultural industrialisation.This comes despite World Bank predictions indicating a slowdown in economic growth to 3.5% this year, down from 4.5% in 2023 due to an anticipated decline in agricultural output, attributed to both global economic challenges and the forecast irregular and below-average rainfall associated with the El Niño weather pattern.Zimbabwe’s economy has seen a strong rebound since the Covid-19 pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in recent years.According to the government, the ongoing successes in the agriculture sector are being consolidated following the 2023 election. The country has become food secure in both maize and wheat and has now set its sights on increased beneficiation in the sector while targeting more exports.According to a spokesman, the country’s land reform programme has been extremely successful, with major milestones reached. The goal now is to guarantee this momentum through household and national food security.The construction of dams, and accelerated irrigation development, coupled with an ongoing borehole drilling programme in every village and school, is also on the cards and part of the plan to address climate change challenges.“Rural development programmes will be implemented at full scale through robust rural agriculture industrialisation models,” said the spokesman. “This will result in our 35 000 villages countrywide, having productive agro-based companies, owned and run by the benefiting communities. The programme will see a multifold increase in rural incomes and sustainable livelihoods.“Concurrent with this thrust is the setting up of rural industries and systems designed to process, value add, beneficiate as well as export agricultural produce. Untapped opportunities exist for more of our people to penetrate the global markets and value chains through quality ‘Made in Zimbabwe’ goods and products,” said the spokesman.The success of the agriculture sector had ripple effects on the country’s agro-based manufacturing sector and industrial base, the spokesman added.The World Bank has warned the country that it will have to continue tackling its macroeconomic challenges going forward if it wants to sustain economic growth. Addressing price and exchange rate volatility and public debt arrears remains critical.
