2025/26 Pfumvudza/Intwasa Kicks Off with Climate Focus

Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Hon. Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka has officially launched the National Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme for the 2025/2026 agricultural season, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to climate-smart farming and national food security.

The launch ceremony was held at the homestead of Mr and Mrs Dube in Ward 22, Insiza District, Matabeleland, attended by senior government officials, including Permanent Secretary Professor Dr Obert Jiri, as well as Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution from Manicaland, Masvingo, and Matabeleland South provinces.

The event showcased the Dube’s impressive 20 well-prepared Pfumvudza plots, which demonstrated a diversified cropping model incorporating cereals, legumes, and oilseeds reflecting the programme’s emphasis on sustainable production and soil conservation.

As part of the day’s proceedings, Minister Masuka also oversaw the distribution of Presidential Inputs to local farmers for the 2025/26 season. The initiative is designed to ensure that farmers receive essential inputs on time, enabling them to prepare adequately for planting and improve household food self-sufficiency.

In his keynote address, Minister Masuka highlighted that Pfumvudza/Intwasa is a science-based and climate-smart conservation agriculture model that has significantly enhanced productivity across Zimbabwe’s communal and smallholder sectors.

“Pfumvudza/Intwasa has proven to be a transformative tool in our quest for food security. It is a fact-based model rooted in resilience and climate adaptation. Under this approach, maize yields have increased by 2.5 times, while sorghum production has tripled,” he said.

The Minister also revealed encouraging progress in programme implementation nationwide. To date, over 985,000 farmers have established Pfumvudza plots covering approximately 1.25 million hectares.

The Ministry plans to expand cereal production to 2.6 million hectares, targeting a total output of 3.2 million tonnes , a key milestone towards achieving national food sufficiency.

” The Pfumvudza/Intwasa model aligns with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, which seeks to achieve an upper-middle-income economy through sustainable agriculture, inclusive growth, and climate resilience,” He added.