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OVERVIEW 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Zimbabwe is an agro-based country where 80% of the population depends on agriculture for a livelihood and the majority of the farmers are women. A total of 70% of the country's population resides in rural areas. The manufacturing sector derives products from agriculture and in turn the sector provides services and inputs to agriculture through backward and forward linkages. Zimbabwe has a total land area of 39.6 million hectares, and agriculture is practiced on 39.9%1 of total land area (15.8 million hectares) of which 10, 9% (4.31 million hectares) is arable. The commodities contributing to agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) include tobacco (25%), maize (14%), cotton (12.5%), beef and fish (10%), sugar and horticulture (7%) and livestock (24%). Forest land constitutes 40.4% of total land area and inhabited by different wildlife species. Zimbabwe's land thus offers opportunities for wildlife-based economic activities. Agriculture is the major employer of the country's labor force, accounting for 65% of the rural population. The majority of the rural population (1.3 million) are producers. Agro-ecological potential: a) Natural region I2 receives more than 1,000mm of annual rainfall. It is a specialized and diversified farming region with plantation forestry, fruit and intensive livestock production. Tea, coffee and macadamia nuts are grown in frost-free areas. b) Natural region IIa and IIb receive 8. 9. 1 2 3 4 FAO, 2012, www.fao.org FAO, 2012, www.fao.org Encyclopaedia of the nations, 2013, www.nationsencyclopedia.com Matondi, P (2012). Zimbabwe's Fast Track Land Reform. Zed Press 750-1000mm annual rainfall, covering 15% of the land area. The region is suitable for intensive farming based on crops or livestock production. c) Natural region III is a semi-intensive farming region covering 19% of Zimbabwe. The region receives moderate rainfall of 500-750mm accompanied by severe mid season dry spells. Maize, tobacco and cotton, are the key crops produced as well as livestock rearing. d) Natural region IV is a semi-extensive farming region covering about 38% of Zimbabwe. Rainfall is between 450-650mm. The area is suitable for cattle ranching with crops requiring irrigation. d) Natural region V is an extensive farming region covering about 27% of Zimbabwe. Rainfall is usually less than 450mm. The area is suitable for extensive cattle or game ranching. The country has three major regions distinguished on the basis of elevation: the Lowveld ( 900m above sea level), Middleveld (900-1 200m) and Highveld (above 1 200m). Altitude ranges between 197m and 2592m. About 80% of the land is higher than 600m and less than 5% is above 1500m, with the highest part in the Eastern Highlands3. The main agriculture sectors are: Large scale 1,377,000 hectares of land with approximately +/-300 white farmers and black farmers, and average sizes of 2,200 hectares), A2 (on 2,918,334.08 hectares, and 16,386 farmers and plot sizes averaging 318 hectares), A1 (5, 759,153.89 hectares, owned by 145,775 farmers each with an average of 6 hectares arable land excluding grazing), Old Resettlement (3,500,000 Hectares, with 76,000 farmers on an average of 46 hectares including grazing), Communal (16, 400,400 hectares), and 1,300, 000 farmers with 12 hectares average plot sizes inclusive of grazing and forest)4. PIP Empowerment Factsheet 1 Agriculture Sector F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 LAND, EMPOWERMENT AND INDIGENIZATION 10. Land as a central economic resource was the first to be considered for indigenization and economic empowerment since 1980; a. 3.6 million hectares of land were acquired and redistributed between 1980 and 20005; b. 76,000 households benefitted in the old resettlement schemes. 11. The sector remained imbalanced up to 2000 because: a. 12 million hectares remained in the hands of 4,500 white farmers, and 70% of that lands was in the agricultural zones of Mashonaland; b. Of the 4,500 white farmers only 10% were women. 12. Agricultural land is owned by Previously Disadvantaged Zimbabweans (PDZs) after the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) implemented from 2000 to current: a. White farmers constitute 0.1% of the farmers in the country, excluding corporate estates. The white large scale commercial farmers have been reduced from around 6,000 in 1980 to 1,377 in 2009; b. The small to medium scale commercial farm category increased from 8,000 in 1980 to 22,072 in 2009, with the introduction of small to medium scale A2 farmers under leasehold type of tenure. In 2009, there were approximately 145,775 A1 and 16,386 A2 beneficiaries; c. The land sector is highly indigenized as indigenous Zimbabweans own 96% of the 33,032 million hectares of agricultural land, excluding company, church and corporate estates (2,041 million hectares) and transitional/ unallocated land (2,684 million hectares)6. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT CHALLENGES AGRICULTURAL SECTOR 13. Various commodities contribute to agricultural GDP as follows: maize 14%, tobacco 25%, cotton 12.5%, sugar and horticulture 7%, beef and fish 10%; at least 24% is devoted to the rest of livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and ostrich) and 0.5% is accounted by subsistence crops. Of these commodities; tobacco, cotton, sugar, horticulture, tea, and bananas account for exports. 14. Maize production has never reached the self sufficiency level (approximated at 1.8 million tonnes7) over the last 20 years. 15. Maize yields have remained below 800kg/ha between 2000 and 2011. A positive balance sheet was realized in 2003/04 and 2005/06 seasons, whilst the greatest deficit on the maize balance sheet was experienced in 2006/07 seasons with a shortfall of 980,000 tonnes. 16. Wheat production has fallen to below 20% of the pre2000 levels of approximately 400 000 tonnes. 17. In 2011, approximately 128 million kilograms of tobacco were produced, worth US$349 million based on average auction price of USD2.71/kg. In 2012, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) reported that Zimbabwe sold 140.8 million kg and earned US$517 million. AGRICULTURAL SECTOR BROAD BASED ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT STRATEGIES 18. Invest in agriculture through technology, information and skills for better utilization of land by farmers. 19. Ensure security of tenure such that land becomes a bankable asset that allows farmers to leverage on it so that they can access capital and increase efficiency and productivity in the utilization of land. 20. Ensure that there is capacity building for farmers to improve productivity. This can be achieved through efficient provision of extension services. 21. Strengthen and rebuild agro-processing/ value addition of primary agricultural products. 22. Facilitate access to markets by farmers and agroprocessors through institutions such as Zimtrade and the country's foreign missions. 23. Promote linkages between old large scale farmers, new farmers (A1 and A2) and smallholder farmers. 24. Design and implement a well planned agrarian reform package to ensure that the newly resettled and smallholder farmers are empowered to increase productivity. Such a package would include access to inputs, credit, tillage, efficient extension services, research and development innovation, viable prices, markets and attractive farm labor remuneration. 5 Rugabe L, and Chambati W (2001) Land Redistribution in Zimbabwe: Five Census Surveys of Farmland Transactions,1996-2000, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rukuni et al; Matondi (2012). Zimbabwe's Agricultural Revolution Revisited. UZP. Total cereal requirement for human consumption are estimated to be around 1.8 million MT, however, total cereal requirement for the country is estimated to be above 2.2 million MT inclusive of animal feed and industrial cereal intake. These figures however are based on the traditional requirements prior to the 2000 developments. 6 7 This factsheet is one of 16 sector-specific empowerment factsheets produced by Ruzivo Trust under the Policy Influencing Project (PIP). Ruzivo Trust extends its appreciation to stakeholders who provided input into the compilation of the factsheets. Ruzivo Trust, 28 Greendale Avenue, Greendale; P.O. Box MP167, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe Website: www.ruzivo.co.zw Email: [email protected] Office numbers: +263 773 853 641 / +263 773 855 554