Positive Food Security Outlook as Zimbabwe Harvests Strong Gains Across Key Crops

Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector continues to show strong performance this season, with encouraging results in grain marketing, producer prices, and crop hectarage. From grain deliveries at the Grain Marketing Board to tobacco sales on the auction floor, the on the 2025/2026 Summer Crops Marketing and 2026 Winter Production Plan update reflects a farming season supported by good rains and strong production efforts across the country.

Below is an extract detailing the agricultural performance as presented to Cabinet by the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development:

UPDATE ON THE 2025/2026 SUMMER CROPS MARKETING AND 2026 WINTER CROPS PRODUCTION PLAN

Cabinet advises that the Second Round of Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment Report reveals that the food security outlook for the country is generally positive.

Currently, government stocks held at the Grain Marketing Board as at 28 July 2026 stand at 239 824.874 metric tonnes (mt). The grain intake pattern reveals that the GMB deliveries from the 2025/2026 season are 135% above the 2024/2025 season, with Agricultural and Rural Development Authority contributing 91.22% of the grain deliveries.

Furthermore, a total of 422 821 metric tonnes of crops comprising maize, soyabean, sorghum and sunflower have been formally marketed as at 30 July 2026, compared to 251 648 mt marketed at the same time in 2025.

The Grain Marketing Board has settled 100% of its previously outstanding farmer payment obligations from the 2024/2025 season. Payments in excess of US$19 million have also been made for the 2025/2026 season deliveries.

It is noteworthy that GMB holds 67 783.457 metric tonnes of third-party grain stocks since the completion of Artificial Intelligence-powered silos and subsequent offering of commercial storage services directly through the Warehouse Receipt system. The progress regarding the various crop hectarages and volumes harvested as at 30 July 2026 is as follows:

i. the total maize area planted increased from 1 813 974 hectares in 2025 to 1 963 292 hectares in 2026, while total production increased from 2 203 556 mt to 2 685 021 mt, reflecting a growth of 17.1%; andii. soyabean production increased from 52 794 mt to 119 067 mt, reflecting a 125% increase.

As at 29 July 2026, a record 355.9 million kilogrammes of tobacco had been sold at an average price of US$2.49 per kilogramme. This represents a 0.3% increase in volume from the 354.9 million kilogrammes in 2025 which was sold at $3.33/kg. Export performance remains strong compared to the corresponding period in 2025 with volumes increasing by 40% from 91.3 million kg to 127.5 million kg.

The cotton producer prices for the 2026 marketing season according to grade are as follows: Grade A, US$0.43/kg; Grade B, US$0.41/kg; Grade C, US$0.38/kg and Grade D, US$0.35/kg. Payment is made instantly on delivery, subject to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe regulations on foreign and local currency ratios.

Regarding the Winter Production Update, the wheat planted area is 133 048 hectares compared to the 121 281 hectares planted in 2025. The area planted by ARDA is 65 585 hectares, against a target of 65 000 hectares. To date, 102 080 mt of Irish potato has been produced from 3 520 hectares, out of a targeted yield of 243 850 mt.

The average yield stands at 29 mt/ha compared to the 26 mt/ha realised during the corresponding period in 2025. Meanwhile a total of 7 013 hectares has been planted to barley.