Published: 22 October 2025

The Government of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and private partners, has launched a pilot initiative to scale up agricultural mechanisation and enhance the incomes of smallholder sorghum farmers.

The project forms part of the multi-country Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission Pillar 3 (FARM P3), which aims to integrate modern post-harvest technology into the sorghum value chain. The pilot, funded with US$320,000, targets high-potential districts under the ongoing Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP), which supports more than 78,000 rural households across 800 producer groups, 200 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and 40 lead enterprises.

FARM P3 seeks to reduce post-harvest losses, improve grain quality, strengthen market linkages, and expand private sector participation, ultimately benefiting up to 6,000 smallholder farmers through improved access to mechanisation services, job creation, and integration into formal markets.

"Sorghum is central to Zimbabwe's climate resilience, yet farmers struggle to scale, and markets remain untapped. By engaging private sector partners from the start, the FARM P3 pilot opens a pathway to overcome these challenges and spread benefits across the entire supply chain," said SACP senior value chain and agribusiness adviser Alex Nyakatsapa.

The initiative will identify and mentor around 50 mechanisation service providers, with a special focus on youth and women, helping them develop viable business models, secure financing, and integrate into structured value chains.

IFAD Country Director Francesco Rispoli emphasised the public-private partnership approach, saying the programme will work with farmers, equipment companies, buyers, banks, and research institutions to ensure sustainable mechanisation models.

"This partnership demonstrates our belief in Zimbabwe's potential to transform its rural economy through sustainable, scalable solutions that place smallholder farmers at the centre," said French Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Paul-Bertrand Barets, during the launch in Harare.

Edwin Zimunga, chief director of the Directorate of Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Farm Infrastructure Development, added that the strategy would not only introduce machines but also create systems that sustain jobs, improve post-harvest efficiency, and reduce losses.

The Government is drafting a formal Agricultural Engineering Mechanisation and Farm Infrastructure Policy and Strategy, scheduled for launch in 2026. The policy will focus on expanding access to affordable, scale-appropriate mechanisation, promoting local manufacturing, strengthening technical training, and establishing mechanisation service centres through public-private partnerships.

Currently, Zimbabwe's national tractor fleet stands at 16,350, less than half of the estimated 40,000 required to boost agricultural production. The FARM P3 pilot is expected to address these gaps and lay the foundation for a modern, resilient sorghum value chain in the country.
- newsday