Government, working with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and private partners, has launched a pilot initiative to scale up agricultural mechanisation and significantly boost the incomes of smallholder sorghum farmers in Zimbabwe.
The project is part of the multi-country Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission Pillar 3 (FARM P3), which seeks to integrate modern post-harvest technology into the sorghum value chain.
Through a funding of US$320 000, FARM P3 (Fostering Agricultural Revitalisation through Mechanisation Public-Private Partnerships) pilot in Zimbabwe targets the sorghum value chain in high-potential districts under the ongoing Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP).
SACP supports more than 78 000 rural households across 800 agricultural producer groups, 200 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and 40 lead enterprises.
Building on this foundation, FARM P3 aims to reduce post-harvest losses, improve grain quality, strengthen market linkages and expand private sector participation.
The initiative is expected to benefit up to 6 000 smallholder farmers through enhanced access to mechanisation services, job creation and integration to formal markets.
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According to IFAD, the core objective is to tackle chronic issues like labour-intensive harvesting, substantial post-harvest losses and poor market linkages that restrict farmer profitability.
SACP senior value chain and agribusiness adviser Alex Nyakatsapa said sorghum was one of Zimbabwe’s most important drought-resilient crops key to food security and climate resilience.
He said smallholder farmers faced challenges such as labour-intensive post-harvest processes, significant losses and limited access to reliable markets due to mismatches between buyer requirements and the quality supplied.
“Sorghum is central to Zimbabwe’s climate resilience, yet farmers struggle to scale and markets remain untapped. By engaging private sector partners from the start, FARM P3 pilot opens a pathway to overcome these challenges and spread benefits across the entire supply chain,” Nyakatsapa said.
The programme seeks to improve post-harvest efficiency and reduce crop losses by up to 30%, ultimately increasing household incomes and access to formal markets.
IFAD will identify and mentor about 50 mechanisation service providers with a special focus on youth and women to help them to build viable business models, secure financing and integrate into structured value chains.
“Co-vetted by financial institutions and off-takers, these entrepreneurs will receive support to build viable business models, access finance and integrate into structured value chains,” IFAD country director Francesco Rispoli said recently.
FARM P3 uses public-private partnerships as the foundation for its technical plan, with the pilot programme working with farmers, equipment companies, buyers (off-takers), banks and research groups such as CGIAR centres to make sure the new mechanisation models actually work in the market and can last long-term.
Speaking during the launch of the initiative in Harare recently, the French ambassador to Zimbabwe, Paul-Bertrand Barets, underscored his country’s commitment to supporting resilient food systems in Africa.
“This partnership demonstrates our belief in Zimbabwe’s potential to transform its rural economy through sustainable, scalable solutions that place smallholder farmers at the centre,” he said.
Edwin Zimunga, chief director of the Directorate of Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Farm Infrastructure Development, said the strategy would scale appropriate mechanisation across all farming levels, with a strong focus on empowering rural communities through job creation, local equipment production and technical training.
“We are not just bringing machines to farms, we are creating systems that sustain jobs, improve post-harvest efficiency and reduce losses,” he said.
The government is currently drafting a formal Agricultural Engineering Mechanisation and Farm Infrastructure Policy and Strategy, scheduled for launch in 2026.
The key objectives include expanding access to affordable, scale-appropriate mechanisation for smallholder farmers, promoting local manufacturing and assembly to reduce reliance on costly imports, strengthen technical training and after-sales support in rural areas, and establish public-private partnerships and mechanisation service centres.
Zimbabwe’s national tractor fleet stands at 16 350, less than half the estimated 40 000 required to boost production.