Government has called on the financial sector to recognise and decisively support farming joint ventures, saying the model is increasingly proving critical to agricultural productivity and national food security.
Agriculture Permanent Secretary Obert Jiri said joint venture initiatives were gaining traction across the farming sector, bringing together landholders and investors with capital, equipment and inputs.
“We really appreciate the farmers that have embraced the JVs programme, which is generally those farmers with land taking advantage of those investors with resources,” Jiri said. “And those people with resources taking advantage of the farmers that are available and that are availing their land. So we are seeing a rise in these partnerships.”
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Jiri said the growing uptake of joint ventures demonstrated the potential of collaborative farming models to unlock underutilised land while easing capital constraints that have historically limited productivity.
He said stronger participation by banks and other financial institutions was essential to scale up the model, particularly at a time when food security remains a national priority.
Joint ventures have emerged as a key mechanism within Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, allowing farmers with land but limited financing to partner with investors who provide working capital, machinery, seed, fertiliser and technical expertise, in return for shared returns.
Government say the arrangements reduce risk, improve yields and support consistent production, especially in strategic crops such as maize, wheat and soya beans.
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