Zimbabwe is setting ambitious targets to bounce back from last year’s devastating crop failures, aiming for a staggering 340% increase in agricultural output in 2025.
Following widespread drought and food shortages, the government declared a national state of disaster in 2024. However, officials are now optimistic about a strong recovery.
At the first post-cabinet press briefing of 2025, Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, assured the nation that the Zimbabwean Grain Marketing Board has sufficient reserves to sustain rural communities until the next harvest in April 2025.
Private Sector Bolsters Grain Supply
“The private sector has played a crucial role in stabilizing the grain supply,” Masuka noted. “Between April 2024 and February 2025, private firms imported a total of 1.35 million tons of grain, including 1.13 million tons of maize, 220,092 tons of wheat, and 374 tons of wheat flour.”
To further support food security, the government has also issued permits for the importation of up to five million tons of maize.
Record-Breaking Growth in Agricultural Production
Zimbabwe’s 2024/25 Summer Season Plan is designed to significantly boost production, targeting a harvest of 3.2 million tons—an impressive jump from the 744,000 tons recorded in the previous season.
The country is also seeing remarkable growth in key cash crops:
- Cotton: Planted area has expanded to 203,875 hectares, marking a 40% increase from the previous season’s 145,265 hectares.
- Tobacco: The number of registered tobacco growers has surged by 10%, reaching 127,000 farmers. Notably, 92% of them are participating under contract farming. The total planted area now stands at 132,851 hectares, a 16% increase from last year.
With these bold initiatives, Zimbabwe is poised for a major agricultural turnaround, signaling a hopeful future for food security and economic stability.