Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector has shown remarkable recovery following last year’s El Niño-induced drought, with significant increases in the area planted for staple cereals during the 2024-2025 summer cropping season.
A Post Cabinet Media Briefing held in Harare this Tuesday revealed that farming hectarage for maize and traditional grains has expanded by nearly 20,000 hectares. This growth is expected to drive a rebound in yields for these key crops.
“The area planted under staple cereals, including maize and traditional grains, increased from the targeted 2,520,000 hectares to 2,540,385 hectares. This represents an 8.1 percent rise compared to the 2023/2024 season,” said Dr. Jenfan Muswere, Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services.
The horticultural sector is also thriving, with notable growth in the production of blueberries, oranges, and coffee, boosting export prospects. Effective livestock recovery policies have led to an increase in the national herd and milk production.
“Regarding horticulture, there were notable increases in the area planted to perennials particularly blueberry, orange and coffee. The total area planted under horticulture marginally increased from 11 952 hectares in the 2023/2024 season to 11 957 in the 2024/2025 season. The increases were achieved despite the negative effects of the El Nino induced drought and the corollary false start to the 2024/2025 season.”
“Concerning livestock, the national beef cattle herd grew by 0.4% from 5 718 523 in 2023 to 5 741 397 in 2024. The national dairy herd increased by 8.7% from 60 398 in 2023 to 65 659 in 2024. This resulted in a 15% increase in raw milk production to 11 699 440 litres from 99 823 775 litres in 2023. The Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme gained momentum in 2024 with the distribution of 751 408 four-week-old indigenous chicks to beneficiaries compared to 200 161 in 2023.”
This week’s cabinet session highlighted a policy review for audit committees in central government. These committees are expected to strengthen operational efficiency and management systems across government departments.
The recovery in agriculture and livestock, alongside the growth in horticulture, signals a positive turnaround for Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector after a challenging period.
