GOVERNMENT aims to attain a US$13,75 billion agricultural sector by next year, up from the planned US$8,2 billion in 2020 owing to the sector’s accelerated growth, a Cabinet minister has said.
Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, it accounts for 12% of the gross domestic product.
Anxious Masuka, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development minister, said in a latest report that Zimbabwe's annual consumption of maize and traditional grains amounted to 2,2 million metric tonnes, with 1,8 million metric tonnes used for food while 400 000 metric tonnes is for stockfeed.
The Crops, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment (pre-harvest) report comes as President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the drought which is ravaging the country a state of disaster in a bid to marshal resources and avert possible starvation and requested US$2 billion to tackle hunger from well-wishers.
“The daily translation amounts to 6 027 metric tonnes, of which 4 931 metric tonnes are allocated for human consumption. The monthly human consumption requirement is 150 000 metric tonnes,” Masuka said in the report.
“Rice consumption has increased from 10 000MT 10 years ago to over 120 000 MT annually, some 10 000MT monthly. Potato consumption is also on the increase with an estimated production of over 500 000MT annually, or a consumption of 41 666MT monthly.
“In future planning this food system shift should be taken into consideration, while appropriate investment in rice production should be accelerated.”
The government has also classified potatoes as a strategic starch crop.
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Masuka said the current stock in farmers' storage was 463 428 tonnes of maize, 2 645 tonnes of sorghum and 9 204 tonnes of pearl millet, totalling 475 277 tonnes of cereals excluding GMB and private sector stocks.
“Panic purchases and grain hoarding by households and traders are expected which will deplete the grain earlier than expected, even in areas with surplus production. This will cause significant increases in cereal prices,” he said.
“According to the agro-ecological matching strategy, there has been an increase in the cultivation of traditional grains, especially in the southern provinces, as farmers took heed of the government’s thrust for agroecological matching. “The sorghum cultivation area has increased to 405 116ha, a 27% increase compared to the previous area of 319 759ha.
“The area for pearl millet has increased from 180 666ha in 2023 to 194 232ha a 7,5% increase. Cumulatively, the maize and traditional grains were 99,6% of the target, some 2 349 921ha.”
