Cabinet has approved the 2026 Winter Production Plan, setting an ambitious target of 662 500 metric tonnes of wheat, as government moves to sustain national food security and strengthen agricultural value chains.
The plan, presented by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Jongwe Masuka, forms part of the broader Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2, which is aligned to Zimbabwe’s development blueprint.
Under the programme, government has identified 256 958 hectares of irrigable land for winter production, with 140 500 hectares earmarked for strategic crops including wheat, barley and Irish potatoes.
Of this area, 125 000 hectares will be dedicated to wheat production, while 6 500 hectares will be allocated to barley and 9 000 hectares to Irish potatoes.
The wheat target of 662 500 tonnes is expected to exceed the country’s annual national requirement of about 615 000 tonnes, helping to maintain Zimbabwe’s recent progress toward wheat self-sufficiency.
Barley production is projected at 45 500 metric tonnes, while Irish potato output is expected to reach 243 850 metric tonnes under the winter programme.
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To support the plan, government has ring-fenced 150 megawatts of electricity to power irrigation systems during the winter cropping season.
Masuka said the power allocation followed consultations with the Ministry of Energy and Power Development.
“Before the presentation of this winter plan we had a discussion with the Minister of Energy and Power Development at which we discussed the availability of power and the Minister responsible assured that there is adequate power.
"We require 150 MW of power to be ring fenced for production in winter, which has been done since 2023 when we attained wheat self sufficiency,” he said.
The success of the programme will depend on the monitoring of 21 key enablers, including reliable access to electricity, water, seed, fertiliser and fuel.
Additional factors such as farmer financing and payments, mechanisation, contract farming arrangements, pest management, soil health, land security and market access will also be closely tracked.
Government say the plan will be implemented through coordinating multiple ministries and private sector players to ensure production targets are met and the country maintains stable supplies of key staple crops.
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