By Sharon Tawuya
Harare, (New Ziana)— Zimbabwe produced over 358 million kilogrammes of tobacco valued at more than US$892 million in the 2025/2026 season, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
Officially opening the 116th edition of the Zimbabwee Agricultural Show, President Mnangagwa said the harvest was the country’s second highest on record and cements tobacco as the number one agriculture export earner.
“Our country produced over 358 million kilogrammes of tobacco, valued at over US$892 million. This is our second highest crop harvest on record, while tobacco remains our number one agriculture export earner, employing over 500,000 people across the value chain,” President Mnangagwa said.
He commended farmers, extension workers, financial institutions and input suppliers for the milestone.
“Well-done. Makorokoto, Amhlophe, Zimbabwe”, he said
The President said Zimbabwe’s agricultural exports now exceed US$2.1 billion and the Strategic Grain Reserve was restored after producing 2.3 million metric tonnes in 2025.
He challenged all categories of farmers to shift “towards increased and consistent high output transformation and value addition”.
President Mnangagwa said the target is to grow agro-processing’s share in manufacturing and this must be promoted “from the village level and the rural industrialisation frameworks”.
Government wants to see more than 1.8 million smallholder farmers transition into commercial value chains ,said the President.
He said strategies such as contract farming, linkages with the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange, and financing under the expanded Agricultural Finance Corporation and the new Credit Guarantee Scheme “should be pursued with deliberate focus”.
Held under the theme *Powering Growth: Where Agriculture, Technology and Commerce Converge’, the President described ZAS as a strategic space “where the broad array of agriculture sector players, converge” and “where the policy of Government meets practice”.
He said the grounds provide an ecosystem “where the farmer can access irrigation equipment and banks interact with new clients for Credit Guarantee Schemes” and where the youth can showcase “how to build an agri-tech business solution”.
“To the youth and women, agriculture is the overarching business of the present and future. I challenge you to lead this sector, help feed the nation and produce the feedstock for our industry”, he said.
New Ziana
