Dr. Masuka Urges Climate-Smart Innovations for Agricultural Resilience in Zimbabwe

By Ilyana Sithole

With Zimbabwe yearning to attain food sovereignty, today in a riveting presentation at the Zimbabwe National Defense University, Hon. Minister for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr. Anxious Masuka Jongwe emphasized that the government is going to be pushing for the implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture to push production and help the country solve food insecurity challenges.

Hon Dr. Masuka started his presentation by delineating the connection between his Ministry’s mandate and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, under which the country would be transformed into a “Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle Income Society,” and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1): 2021-2025 and NDS2: 2026-2030. Basing his address on how the mandate of the Ministry was to ensure the following:

1. Food Security and Food Sovereignty
2. Nutrition Security
3. Livelihoods Improvement
4. Economic Development

Vision for Sustainable Agriculture Sector
Minister Masuka laid out the Ministry’s vision of: “A Prosperous, Inclusive, Diverse, Sustainable and Competitive Agriculture Sector by 2030.” Drawing attention to the mission, he emphasized the need for ensuring growth in a modern, sustainable and viable climate-smart agriculture sector by 2025. The mission, he added, is perfectly in line with the bigger vision of an upper middle-income society.

Dr. Masuka described the role of CSA in increasing productivity in a sustainable way, which is important to improve food and nutrition security and to promote economic growth. He outlined some of the major initiatives being implemented by the Ministry, including:
– Large Scale Dam Construction Works: To improve water supply for irrigation.
– Conservation Agriculture Practice: Pfumvudza/Intwasa concentrates on sustainable farming methods.
– Accelerated Irrigation Development: Improving irrigation schemes to support crop production.
– Rural Development 8.0 Program: This is a presidential initiative that will build resilience in rural communities and adapt agricultural practices to local agro-ecological conditions.

Addressing Climate Change Challenges
Dr. Masuka pointed out that these integrated approaches are geared to building resilient rural communities that will be able to resist the impact of climate change. He cited the agricultural gross domestic product (GDP), which rose from USD 5.6 billion in 2020 to USD 9.9 billion in 2022, an increase of 76.8% and surpassing the USD 8.2 billion target for 2025. The Minister added, “We now aim to become a USD 13.75 billion industry by 2025.”

The biggest threat, though, said to the agricultural productivity of the countries has been that posed by climate change. Dr. Masuka described climate change as “long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns,” a phrase that usually materializes through forms of drought, flooding, or such heavy or much-erratic rainfall patterns.
The Call for Climate-Smart Agriculture
As he delineates CSA is just that particular type of a system of production, which not only:

1. Sustainably increases productivity
2. Enhances climate-resilience
3. Minimizes emissions of GHGs
4. Attains food and nutrition security

He added that CSA strengthens the “3Ps of Agriculture”: Production, Productivity, and Profitability.

The Context of Zimbabwe’s Agriculture
He said the frequency of droughts in Zimbabwe is getting closer; from once in ten to once in three years. He went further to add that the impacts of climate change will also be felt through crop pests and diseases, since crop yields from rain-fed agriculture are projected to decline by 17-32% by 2050.

He therefore put forward the establishment of drought mitigation centers to counter such phenomena and insisted on mechanization through the purchase of tractors.
Dr Masuka concluded by asserting that the mentioned initiatives are instrumental in realizing the national vision 2030 and calling for adaptive measures to be put in place to protect agricultural productivity in the face of an increasingly unpredictable climate.

CONCLUSION
As the ministry takes lead in the climate-resilient agriculture conversation, we invite you to join in the conversation. Please share your views on how climate-smart agriculture can benefit your community, and together, let’s develop a more sustainable food future for all. Stay with us as we bring updates on the developments of Zimbabwe’s Climate-Smart Agriculture journey and explore ways through which this most crucial initiative may be advanced.