President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched the Expanded Farmer Mechanisation Facility to increase access to agricultural equipment among smallholder and communal farmers, as Government intensifies efforts to modernise the sector, boost productivity and strengthen national food security.
The facility which was launched, yesterday, at the Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Hatcliffe, Harare, is designed to address the machinery gap in rural communities and enable farmers to move from predominantly manual and animal-drawn farming methods towards more efficient, technology-driven production systems.
Speaking at the launch, President Mnangagwa said the initiative represented a significant investment in agricultural modernisation, rural industrialisation and economic transformation.
“This is an important milestone in our national journey towards agriculture modernisation, rural industrialisation and overall economic transformation. Today’s occasion represents much more than the distribution of farming equipment, including tractors and other agricultural implements.
“It is a deliberate national investment in the productive capacity of our farmers, especially smallholder farmers and broad-based economic empowerment of communities,” he said.
The President said a productive agricultural sector was fundamental to achieving food security and sovereignty, improving nutrition and raising household incomes.
He said mechanisation was central to the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 (2026-2030), which prioritises climate-smart and precision farming as part of the country’s broader Vision 2030 aspirations.
President Mnangagwa noted that animal-drawn implements accounted for 19.5% of the land tilled under Pfumvudza/Intwasa, highlighting the limitations faced by farmers relying on traditional methods.
These constraints affect the timeliness of agricultural operations, the amount of land cultivated and the efficient utilisation of available resources.
“The Expanded Farmer Mechanisation Facility, which we are launching on the onset of the 2026/2027 summer cropping season, will, thus, go a long way towards closing the gaps in the agriculture space. Our objective is to ensure that mechanisation is no longer a privilege for farmers with substantial financial resources,” he said.
The scheme will provide a range of agricultural equipment, including tractors, combine harvesters, planters and motorised ploughs, through various local and international financing arrangements.
Participating mechanisation facilities include those involving Belarus, John Deere and Bain New Holland, while local financial institutions such as AFC Land Bank, CBZ Bank, Women’s Bank, Empower Bank, ZB Bank and POSB will provide financing.
Beneficiaries will include successful Village Business Units across rural wards in all provinces, as well as those operated by youths and war veterans.
President Mnangagwa challenged the beneficiaries to ensure that the equipment was properly maintained and managed to guarantee its long-term productivity.
He emphasised the need for transparent accounting systems, proper record-keeping, accountable management structures and sustainable operating models to ensure that Village Business Units remained viable.
He also called on Government ministries, departments, agencies and institutions of higher learning to support the units through improved governance and operational capacity.
Beyond mechanisation, the President said Government was pursuing complementary investments in irrigation development, strategic grain storage and rural infrastructure to address supply chain constraints affecting smallholder farmers.
He said the country was also strengthening its preparedness against climate-related shocks through a six-pillar strategy targeting El Niño-induced drought risks.
The strategy encompasses strengthening the Strategic Grain Reserve, accelerating climate-smart agricultural production, improving agricultural financing, mitigating livestock drought risks, enhancing imports and strengthening coordination, early warning systems and capacity building.
President Mnangagwa urged communities to complement Government interventions by adopting measures that strengthen climate resilience and adaptation.
The expanded facility is also expected to accelerate rural industrialisation by creating opportunities for machinery-related services, agricultural enterprises and other economic activities in rural communities.
Through improved access to appropriate equipment, the programme seeks to increase yields, reduce production costs and strengthen household incomes while contributing to the country’s broader agricultural transformation agenda.
