Integrated rural transformation and agriculture-led industrialisation have taken centre stage at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) 2026, with Government reaffirming its commitment to building resilient rural economies anchored on value addition, infrastructure development and localised production systems.
During a tour of the Ministry of Lands and Rural Development exhibition stand, today, Minister Vangelis Peter Haritatos, said rural transformation is now firmly embedded in the national development trajectory.
“The focus is clear no community must be left behind. Rural development is no longer peripheral; it is central to our economic strategy,” he said.
He added that Government is accelerating investments in rural infrastructure, noting that improved connectivity and services are critical to unlocking rural productivity.
“We are intensifying the rollout of roads, schools, clinics and market infrastructure because development must be felt at household level. This is how we unlock real economic participation in rural areas,” said the Minister.
Haritatos emphasised that value addition remains a key driver of rural industrialisation.
“We cannot continue exporting raw produce while importing finished goods. Rural industrialisation is about ensuring that value is created where resources are produced,” he said.
He reaffirmed Government’s commitment to President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, saying inclusive rural prosperity remains a national priority.
“We are working towards an upper middle-income economy, and that goal must be built on productive land use and empowered rural communities,” he said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, also outlined the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy, describing agriculture as the backbone of national development.
“Agriculture remains the most powerful lever for transforming our economy. When properly structured, it drives industrialisation faster than any other sector,” he said.
Prof Jiri said Government is deliberately linking agriculture to industrial development through beneficiation and localisation of value chains.
“We are shifting from production alone to full value chain development. What is grown in our villages must also be processed in our districts,” he said.
He highlighted the Rural Development 8.0 programme, which decentralises development through Village Business Units and School Business Units tailored to local conditions.
“Each village must begin to think like an economic unit. Development must start from the ground up, not be imposed from above,” said Prof Jiri.
He also confirmed plans to assign a flagship industry to every district.
“Every district must have a defined economic identity. This is how we build structured, sustainable rural economies,” he said.
The integrated approach on display at ZITF 2026 reflects a broader push towards decentralised, production-driven development aimed at transforming rural areas into engines of national economic growth.
Such an initiative is good given that most of the population in the country is highly located in the rural areas.