The Zimbabwean Government has pitched a US$1.42 billion investment opportunity to a visiting Danish business delegation, targeting the country’s agricultural value chains with the aim of achieving a one million tonne maize surplus by 2030.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Vangelis Haritatos, led the engagement in Harare, where he outlined several government-backed models aimed at attracting private sector investment. These include initiatives like NEAPS, the Irrigation Development Alliance Model, the Mechanisation Alliance Model, and the Vision 2030 Accelerator Model.

Haritatos highlighted that agriculture remains central to Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing up to 17% of GDP and employing 60-70% of the population. However, with climate change affecting yields, the Government is prioritising climate-smart farming, irrigation, and mechanisation.

The targeted investment will support key value chains in maize, soyabean, sunflower, blueberries, poultry, beef and dairy. Over US$1 billion is needed for maize, soyabean and broiler projects alone.

To attract investors, Zimbabwe is offering incentives such as tax breaks in Special Economic Zones, duty rebates on capital equipment, 100% foreign ownership, and VAT exemptions on farming inputs and machinery.

Haritatos also pointed to Zimbabwe’s agricultural potential, with 33.3 million hectares of arable land, over 10,000 dams, and a rapidly growing blueberry sector already exporting to China and eyeing India.

The Danish delegation, led by Zimbabwean-born Florence Charamba Christensen of Afrika Consultancy, included leading companies in grain processing, poultry, renewable energy, milling, and sustainable farming.

Cimbria and Engsko, among others, expressed interest, with Cimbria highlighting its long history in Zimbabwe and ongoing partnerships with companies like Seed Co.

Zimbabwe’s Gold (ZWG) currency registered a slight improvement on the inflation front in September, with month-on-month inflation easing to –0.2%, according to figures released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) on Monday. The decline has raised expectations that annual inflation—still running at high double-digit levels—could gradually fall as the year closes.

Data shows the ZWG has held firm against the US dollar since September 2024, when it last experienced a major depreciation.

“The month-on-month inflation rate for September 2025 stood at –0.2%, down from 0.4% recorded in August, reflecting an average 0.2% drop in consumer prices,” Zimstat noted.

Breaking down the figures, Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages posted a 0.2% month-on-month rise in September, reversing a –0.1% decline in August. Non-food inflation, however, dropped sharply to –0.5% from 0.6% in the previous month.

On a year-to-year basis, inflation remains high. “Annual ZWG inflation for September 2025 was 82.7%, meaning prices were on average 82.7% higher compared to the same month in 2024,” Zimstat added.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) continues to enforce a strict monetary policy stance to preserve the stability of the ZiG currency, introduced in April 2024. Measures have included maintaining an elevated policy interest rate to discourage speculative borrowing and keep inflation and exchange rates in check.

Meanwhile, inflation measured in US dollars was unchanged at 0% month-on-month for September 2025, while the year-on-year figure stood at 13.4%.

In terms of poverty thresholds, Zimstat said the Food Poverty Line (FPL) for one individual in September was ZWG 877.03, while the Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL)—covering both food and non-food essentials—was ZWG 1,292.80.

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Manicaland Province is on track for a record wheat harvest this year, with yields estimated at about 58,000 metric tonnes from 13,548 hectares planted.

Harvesting has already started in some parts of the province, while the bulk of farmers are expected to begin in October and continue into November. To prevent losses, experts stress that the crop must be collected before the rains arrive.

On a national scale, Zimbabwe is targeting 600,000 metric tonnes of wheat in 2025, the highest output since the crop was introduced in 1966. With consistent support from government, financial institutions, private contractors, and other partners, the country has managed to attain wheat self-sufficiency, ending dependence on imports.

Farmers are upbeat about this year’s crop, describing the season as relatively smooth. However, they are calling on the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to speed up payments for grain deliveries in order to sustain their motivation.

Provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) director, Mr. Nhamo Mudada, confirmed that small-scale growers had started reaping their crops. He noted that assessments showed the wheat was generally healthy and likely to produce high-quality grades.

“Our winter wheat is performing extremely well. About 65 percent of the crop is in good condition, and 34 percent is fair. Harvesting should begin in earnest in early October and stretch into November because planting was extended up to June 15. Some smallholders in Chimanimani and Chipinge are already reaping manually using sickles, while the majority will rely on combine harvesters. We are confident of achieving our target of 58,000 tonnes, averaging five tonnes per hectare,” he said.

Headlands farmer Mr Tedious Nyikayaramba of Choko Farm said his harvesting would start in October and finish within four days. He is confident that the rains will not affect the process.

“We grew 40 hectares under contract with a private buyer. Timely delivery of inputs, a reliable water supply from dams, and improved electricity compared to previous years made a big difference. We expect about six tonnes per hectare of good-quality wheat. Wheat is less labour-intensive than many crops, but it must be harvested as soon as it matures; otherwise, rains can cause serious losses,” he said.

For Zimbabwe, self-sufficiency in wheat is vital for food security. It reduces the need for imports while improving the availability, affordability, and price stability of staple foods. Since wheat is the main raw material for bread and cereals, this boost in production is expected to benefit both the economy and household nutrition.