Zimbabwe is now transitioning from land reform to land productivity to unlock agricultural growth, food security, and industrial expansion, says Lands and Rural Development minister Vangelis Haritatos.
This comes as the nation’s agricultural sector – a vital component of its economy, contributing between 10 percent and 20 percent to Gross Domestic Product – moved from high-output commercial and subsistence farming following the land reform in 2000, to a structure dominated by smallholder farmers.
Once known as southern Africa’s “food basket,” the country currently faces challenges with agricultural production, supporting local output with imports.
“Zimbabwe is now shifting from land reform to land productivity, security and rural transformation, with secure tenure, modernised land systems and coordinated rural development positioned to unlock agricultural growth, food security and industrial expansion under Vision 2030,” Haritatos said, according to a post on X by the Lands ministry.
He said “integrated infrastructure, value addition and village business units must transform rural communities into vibrant economic hubs”, the ministry quoted him as saying in the post.
Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is an essential pillar of its economy, supporting the livelihoods of roughly 60 to 70 percent of the country’s population, approximately 17 million.
As of early 2026, the sector is experiencing a significant recovery, with production increasing from around US$5 billion in 2019 to an estimated US$7 billion to US$10.3 billion by 2024/2025.
The industry is a key foreign currency earner, heavily anchored by tobacco, horticulture, and sugar.