Sen Mathew Mutavayi

Today, I had the privilege of officially launching the expanded Smallholder Agricultural Mechanisation Facility / Pfumvudza / Intwasa at the Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Hatcliffe, Harare. This marks a major milestone in our drive toward rural industrialisation, smart farming, and the upliftment of our smallholder farmers. Agriculture remains a strategic pillar for Zimbabwe's development. A robust agricultural sector directly improves the livelihoods of our people and guarantees national food security. For too long, a historical mechanisation gap existed between large commercial estates and our communal farmers. Through this expanded programme, we are taking modern farming equipment directly to the grassroots across all 35,000 villages in Zimbabwe. With over 1 million hectares now under Pfumvudza/Intwasa, our land is being actively converted into productive wealth. Zimbabwe must transition away from arduous manual labour toward technological production and modern agricultural methods. Farming has become a serious business—one that transforms rural communities into hubs of prosperity and a higher quality of life. Under my administration, mechanisation will remain available, appropriate, and affordable to improve yields and cut production costs. Our national tractor fleet continues to grow, and today’s rollout features: • 25-horsepower tractors with matching implements • Two-wheel tractors and direct seeders • Trailers, multi-crop threshers, and tool bars This equipment is specifically targeted at Village Business Units (VBUs), Youth Business Units, schools, and rural households participating in the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme. I commend our local financial institutions—including AFC, CBZ, and our other banking partners—for coming on board to support this vision through structured loans and accessible repayment terms. Furthermore, I challenge our institutions of higher learning to step up and lead in the domestic production and innovation of agricultural machinery. Scaling up mechanisation goes hand in hand with broader rural transformation. My Government is aggressively expanding irrigation infrastructure and upgrading rural road networks to remove the bottlenecks faced by small-scale farmers. Together, these efforts drive climate adaptation, create employment, and promote local value addition. Finally, as we confront the reality of climate change, we note the projected El Niño weather conditions for the upcoming season. Let us all remain vigilant and alert. My administration has already drafted a comprehensive 6-point drought mitigation strategy to safeguard our farmers, protect our livestock, and ensure our nation remains food secure. Together, we are modernising our agriculture, empowering our rural communities, and building a prosperous Zimbabwe—leaving no one and no place behind.