MARTIN MAWAYA
GERMANY-Zimbabwe has set its sights on accelerating agricultural mechanisation at Agritechnica, the world’s largest agritech exhibition currently underway in Hanover, Germany.
Deputy Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Vangelis Haritatos is leading a government delegation accompanied by Chief Director for Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Farm Infrastructure Development, Engineer Edwin Zimhunga.
Haritatos said the country’s participation at the global forum aims to secure solutions to long standing equipment shortages that have weakened farming output and exposed Zimbabwe to climate related shocks.
“Climate change is negatively affecting us. We must move away from rain fed agriculture to climate smart irrigation,” he said. “Our mission here is to learn, collaborate, and bring technologies that make Zimbabwean agriculture more competitive and profitable.”
He added that farming is a business, and to remain competitive globally, the country must invest in technologies that enhance efficiency, reduce losses and increase farmer profitability
Zimbabwe currently has about 16,000 operational tractors, less than half of the 40,000 required to meet national demand.
The country also faces acute shortage of combine harvesters and modern irrigation equipment.
Although around 220,000 hectares of land are currently under irrigation, the government aims to increase that figure to 500,000 hectares to safeguard national food security.
Analysts note that these shortages have contributed to delayed planting, low yields, and high post harvest losses particularly in drought-prone regions.
Southern Africa is emerging from one of its worst El Niño-induced droughts in decades, which left millions of people food insecure and underscored the vulnerability of rain fed farming.
With global food systems strained by climate change, geopolitical tensions, and volatile commodity markets, Zimbabwe’s push to strengthen its mechanisation capacity reflects broader concerns about food security across Africa.
Several African countries including Zambia, Kenya, and Ethiopia are also courting global equipment manufacturers to modernize their agriculture sectors and improve resilience.
The Agritechnica exhibition has attracted participants from more than 50 countries.
The Zimbabwean delegation has been studying precision agriculture technologies, AI-driven soil analysis tools, advanced irrigation systems, and high efficiency machinery used in some of the world’s most productive farming regions.
Chief Director Eng. Zimhunga described the exhibition as showcasing “the full spectrum of the industrialisation of agriculture,” including robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and next generation machinery.
He said Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector is already in “overdrive” toward industrialization and is drawing lessons from global innovators to modernize local practices.
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” Eng. Zimhunga said. “We are going to adopt, adapt, and custom make solutions for our Zimbabwean situation.”
He added that the approach aligns with Vision 2030, which positions agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and long-term food stability.
Looking ahead, Zimhunga outlined an ambitious plan to climate proof agriculture through the use of GIS technologies, satellite imagery, and digital decision support systems.
“These tools,” he said, “will guide data-driven farming and boost productivity across more than a million hectares.”
“This is what engineering is really defining agriculture to become,” he noted, emphasising that Zimbabwe’s future lies in transforming farms into industrial hubs powered by innovation, infrastructure, and sustainable energy.
The government hopes to secure cooperation agreements with international suppliers during the forum an outcome that could significantly narrow Zimbabwe’s mechanisation gap and strengthen the country’s long-term food security.
