THE permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, Obert Jiri, says the ministry has completed drafting a five-year blueprint for the agriculture sector, whose goal is to transform it into a US$15.8 billion industry by 2030.
Titled the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy (2026-2030) (AFSRTS-2), the blueprint is set to be launched by President Mnangagwa in the coming weeks. Speaking at a two-day Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC) strategy workshop in Harare at the weekend, Jiri said the blueprint would have a bearing on all sub-sectors of agriculture.
“The deliberations you undertake over these two days are not just for your company, but for the very future of our nation’s agricultural sector. We have concluded the development of our sectoral five-year blueprint, the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy (AFSRTS 2026-2030).
This is our sectoral blueprint under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS-2), and its goal is to transform our agriculture into a viable, competitive, and resilient US$15.8 billion industry by the year 2030.
“This is not just about economic figures. This growth is fundamentally about ensuring our food sovereignty, improving nutrition security, and driving meaningful rural transformation. It is within this grand national vision that the AFC Leasing Company finds its profound purpose,” Jiri said.
The AFC Leasing Company was established as a key subsidiary of the AFC Holdings group—a revolutionary one-stop-shop for agricultural finance—and its mandate is to provide mechanisation, equipment, and leasing services. Jiri added that as a critical enabler of productivity and climate resilience for farmers, the AFC strategy must be deeply interwoven with national priorities.
He revealed that the AFSRTS-2 is built on 10 strategic pillars, including sustainable production, research and innovation, climate adaptation, and, critically, investment and finance. “By 2030, we aim to increase maize production to three million metric tonnes, boost wheat production to nearly 1.4 million metric tonnes, and raise milk production to 200 million litres.
To achieve this, we must expand our functional irrigation from the current 221 000 hectares to 496 000 hectares and we must raise our national mechanisation index from 43 percent to 80 percent. “These are not just targets on a page; they represent the demand for your services. Your strategy must directly support these goals through accessible equipment leasing, innovative financing models to de-risk farmers, and strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors,” Jiri said. —New Ziana
