ZIMBABWEAN young farmers say they are optimistic of the 2024-25 agricultural season driven by the good rains that have generally been experienced across the country despite the challenges they continue to face.
Compounding their situation was the El Niño-induced drought that ravaged most of the southern African countries last season, including Zimbabwe, but the young farmers anticipate increased production in horticultural produce as well as with cereals production.
Young Farmers Collective vice-chairperson Clive Munakandafa told NewsDay Farming yesterday that young farmers continue to face challenges with access to affordable financing for their operations, generally due to high interest rates currently obtaining and limited financial literacy among the youth.
“We have a positive outlook for the 2024-25 farming season and this is especially being driven by the good rains that have generally been experienced across the country,” he said.
“Last year, the El Niño phenomenon adversely affected farmers across the board, leading to some scaling back because of uncertainty, but we have been urging our members to keep informed on rainfall patterns affecting their locality so as to plan accordingly.
“Overall, we’re anticipating increased production in horticultural produce as well as with cereals production.”
Munakandafa said they had been encouraging farmers to practise smart water harvesting and conservation methods regardless of the projected above normal rainfall as climate change has increased the incidence of droughts, hence the need to be adequately prepared in the event of such occurrence.
With this in mind, he said they had also been encouraging farmers to avoid over-stocking their livestock so as to obviate any potential losses associated with water scarcity.
- Minister bemoans shortage of schools
- BCC joins Green Cities initiative
- Teachers, other civil servants face off
- Drunkard kills church pastor
Keep Reading
He, however, bemoaned challenges that young farmers continue to face in the country year in year out which are hampering their efforts.
“Young farmers continue to face challenges with access to affordable financing for their operations, generally due to high interest rates currently obtaining and limited financial literacy among the youth,” Munakandafa said.
“Lack of collateral security has also been a major setback, but we are thrilled that government has introduced the new Land Tenure Act which will see our farmers receiving title deeds to their farms that they can utilise to secure funding to boost productivity.”
He said his organisation would be embarking on an educational drive that would focus on equipping its members with skills and knowledge relevant to their operations as a means of empowerment.
“With all this in mind, we are confident that we shall continue to see positive growth in our sector and better fortunes as well for our farmers,” he said
Meanwhile, economist Persistence Gwanyanya said he was cautiously optimistic about the outlook given the uncertainties of the impact of climate change.
“We are cautiously optimistic about the outlook, in the sense that we are pinning our hopes on the recovery of the agricultural sector,” Gwanyanya said.
“But as you want to agree with me, on account of climatic change, it’s very difficult to predict the final outcome. We are susceptible to the vagaries of climatic change in the country.”
However, he said current rains had offered some relief, easing fears of drought and instilling confidence among farmers and policymakers alike.
“The ongoing rains give us some confidence of a better season this year. A Treasury projection suggests the agricultural sector will recover by 12,8% this year, after a hit of 15% in the previous year,” he added.
Treasury projections show that Zimbabwe’s economy is forecast to grow by 6% in 2025, up from 2% in 2024.
This growth will largely hinge on the performance of the agricultural sector, which contributes significantly to GDP and livelihoods.
Government investment in the sector through the 2025 budget is seen as a key enabler of this growth.
The allocation includes funding for irrigation systems to counter erratic rainfall, mechanisation programmes to enhance efficiency and targeted initiatives like the Presidential Input Scheme, which provide inputs to smallholder farmers.
However, climate change remains an ever-present risk and sustained success will require continued investment in climate-smart agriculture, enhanced resilience and effective farmer education.
