The case of Zimbabwe

 Massive production of all agricultural commodities to ensure national food security and household food self sufficiency

 Contributes between 16 and 20% of GDP  Over 40% of national exports  60% of raw materials to agro industries  Provides livelihoods to over 70% of the population  Employment for some 1/3 of formal labour force

 Food crops – maize, wheat, small grains  Cash crops – tobacco, cotton, coffee, tea, sugarcane  Livestock – cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry  Horticulture – fruits, vegetables, flowers

 Fertilizer shortage > low capacity utilisation due to lack of foreign currency  Limited hybrid seed availability > poor supplies of fertilizer, erratic fuel and electricity  Untimely and inapropriate supply of inputs  Recurrent droughts and floods  Limited financial resources to smallholder farmers  Limited investment in agriculture> irrigation, infrastructure, market dvpt  Limited research and extension > funding constraints ( cell phone farmers)

 Contract farming – cotton, maize, tobacco, barley  Linking commodity and input marketing – GMB, farmers deliver maize and get inputs in return ( or cash)  Seed fairs – done by AGRITEX, NGOs and seed houses across the country  Warehouse receipts (WR) – improving input credit and adding flexibility in farmer selling decisions. Will weed out ineffective farmers. WR development at an advanced level  Vulnerable farmers – targeted 1million households including households under FAO. Level of support – 1/3 to 1/2ha. Package includes seeds and fertilizers

 Livestock production – rehabilitation of dip tanks, vaccinations, supplementary feeding etc  Irrigation development and drought mitigation – potential ha but less than ha developed and functional. Vast water bodies available including underground water.  Farm mechanization – acquisition of tractors, combine harvesters and implements to improve productivity

 strengthening of commodity associations, cooperatives and farmer’s unions  Strengthening research and extension services  Promoting investment in agriculture – free market, multicurrency environment but still require irrigation development, input and output market development, infrastructure, among others.