Govt Cuts Urban Households From Pfumvudza Inputs Scheme

The government has announced that this year’s Presidential Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs scheme will exclusively benefit rural households, excluding the 500,000 urban and peri-urban residents who were supported under the programme last season.

Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka revealed this during a parliamentary Q&A session on Wednesday, explaining that last year’s extension to urban areas had been a one-off intervention to cushion households against the devastating effects of the El Niño-induced drought.

Responding to a question from Pumula MP Sichelesile Mahlangu, who sought clarity on whether urban constituencies would be catered for, Masuka was categorical:
“The official policy is that urban areas will not receive inputs under the Presidential scheme this year. The exception made last year was only because of an extraordinary drought.”

He said inputs for the 2025/26 season would be reserved for three million rural households. Urban dwellers would only qualify if they farm in designated agricultural zones such as communal lands, A1 resettlement areas, or small-scale farming zones.

Masuka emphasized that the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme is a food security initiative tailored for rural and smallholder farmers, who are at the heart of national agricultural productivity.
“Agriculture is meant for agricultural zones. Urban areas are primarily residential and not suitable for farming. In Zimbabwe, urban agriculture is not permitted — farming must be conducted on land specifically allocated for that purpose,” he explained.

He recalled that last season, President Mnangagwa had extended inputs to peri-urban households as a special drought-relief measure because rural farmers, who typically supply food to urban markets, were struggling.

The Pfumvudza/Intwasa scheme has been a central pillar of the government’s strategy to boost food security through climate-smart agriculture, primarily targeting rural communities.

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