Zimbabwe Projects 2.3 Million Tonne Maize Harvest For 2024/25 Season

Zimbabwe is projected to harvest approximately 2.3 million tonnes of maize during the 2024/25 agricultural season, marking the fourth-largest yield in the nation’s recorded history.

This projection was announced by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Hon. Jenfan Muswere, during a post-Cabinet media briefing held in Harare on Tuesday. He said:

Cabinet received an update on the Second Round Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment Report. The report indicates that the area planted to maize increased from 1 728 897 hectares in the 2023/24 season to 1 839 373 hectares in the 2024/25 season.

The 6,4% increase is marginally above the target of 1,8 million hectares. Based on this assessment, maize production in the 2024/25 season is estimated at 2 293 556 metric tonnes, the fourth highest ever production by the country.

This comes after a difficult 2023/24 season marked by an El Niño-induced drought, which brought prolonged dry spells and delayed rainfall across several provinces.

The impact was not confined to Zimbabwe alone but stretched across southern Africa, causing widespread cereal shortages and heightened food insecurity.

Muswere attributed the projected bumper maize harvest for the 2024/25 summer cropping season to improved rainfall distribution and the continued implementation of conservation farming methods, notably the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.

Muswere also reported notable growth in key cash crops, with tobacco output increasing by 15%, cotton by 52%, and sunflower by an extraordinary 303%.

In the livestock sector, beef production rose from 90,000 metric tonnes in 2023 to 94,623 metric tonnes in 2024. The national cattle herd registered a modest increase of 0.4%, reaching 5.7 million. Said Muswere:

Communal areas continue to dominate livestock farming, accounting for 64% of the total herd. Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Midlands were the top milk-producing provinces in 2024, accounting for 89% of the country’s total production of 115 million litres, a 10% increase from last year.

In the fisheries and wildlife sectors, fish production in 2024 reached 31,296 metric tonnes, while crocodile skin sales increased by 34%.

More: NewsDay

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