The Government has placed dam-driven economic growth at the heart of the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2, its agriculture growth and development blueprint for the next five years.
The plan is couched in the context of at least 12 430 small, medium, and large dams in Zimbabwe, holding significant surface water resources vital for domestic, agricultural, mining and industrial purposes.
AFSRTS 2 is the Government’s next medium blueprint designed to modernise the agriculture sector and achieve national development goals, particularly Vision 2030, by which Zimbabwe should be a middle-income economy.
The AFRSTS 1, 2020-2025, is Zimbabwe’s national plan to revitalise the agricultural sector, focusing on achieving food security, promoting import substitution and building resilience to various shocks.
It is integrated into the broader economic development plan, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Agriculture is critically important to Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing an estimated 12 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, providing raw materials for about 60 percent of manufacturing, and employing 70 percent of the population.
Further, the sector is also a major source of foreign exchange, accounting for approximately 30 percent of export earnings in a good year, making its performance a key driver of national economic growth and recovery.
Like its successor, the strategy uses the “food systems approach” to create a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable agricultural sector by focusing on areas like food security, climate resilience, value addition, and rural industrialisation.
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development chief director for water resources, irrigation development and national WASH coordination directorate, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu, AFSRTS 2 policy thrust on the sidelines of the ministry’s 2026 strategic planning workshop in Bulawayo.
“We are fully prepared to aggressively drive the unrolling of the recently launched Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 as the nation accelerates towards Vision 2030.
“The focus is to ensure that every drop of the country’s water resources is optimally harnessed and utilised, as the dam-as-an-economy concept will be implemented at full scale to energise rural economies and enhance livelihoods,” he said.
He said the strategy demanded a deliberate push to guarantee adequate water for rural development, irrigation expansion, fisheries and power generation.
Eng Mutazu said that comprehensive master plans for dam utilisation, especially for irrigation, would guide efforts to detach agricultural production from unpredictable weather patterns, thereby strengthening national climate resilience.
“Rural communities, as frontline beneficiaries of dam investments, will be integrated into development processes immediately after dam construction. With enhanced climate-proofing at the centre, we underscore the importance of adopting modern irrigation technologies such as drip systems to maximise efficiency,” he added.
He said his directorate would continue to significantly contribute to the establishment of village business units, ensuring broad-based rural transformation that leaves no one and no place behind.
Meanwhile, the chief director of agricultural engineering mechanisation and farm infrastructure development, Engineer Samuel Edwin Zimhunga, painted a vivid picture of mechanisation as the indispensable lever that keeps the agricultural body moving.
“Mechanisation threads through every facet of farming—from land preparation, planting and harvesting to post‑harvest handling, agro‑processing and storage. The same lever supports livestock systems, providing animal housing, paddocks, fencing, and even cold‑chain solutions, making mechanisation a cross‑cutting enabler across the entire sector,” he said.
He said the strategy now focused on upgrading infrastructure to protect and add value to what farmers produce at the ground level before feeding it into industrial beneficiation.
“How do we do mechanisation, how do we upgrade from infrastructure for protection, how do we also make sure that we value it, that which has been produced at the farm level before we take it to the next step,” Eng Zimhunga added.
He said this value‑addition mindset was seen as the bridge between raw produce and higher‑margin markets, positioning mechanisation as a catalyst for economic growth.
Eng Zimhunga’s department’s vision aligns with Zimbabwe’s broader agricultural policy, which seeks to boost productivity, improve market access, and attract investment in modern farming technologies.
“By treating mechanisation as a strategic lever, the country aims to move from subsistence farming to a more competitive and market‑driven sector.”
The current strategic planning workshop will detail concrete steps to mobilise resources, expand mechanisation infrastructure, and ensure that the benefits ripple through farmers, processors, and the national economy alike. – Herald
