Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe is seeking to deepen agricultural cooperation with India, focusing on irrigation equipment, affordable inputs and stronger support for smallholder farmers, a senior government official has said.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri said there is need to broaden the two countries’ ties in the agricultural sector.
He said this after meeting with Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bramha Kumar and Southern Africa Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) executive director, Joseph Ngwawi on Tuesday.
“We have always been cooperating, but we also use a lot of Indian equipment. We have the Mahindra tractor and so forth, which is part of our agriculture system,” Prof Jiri noted.
While cooperation in tractors and farm machinery has progressed, he emphasised that India should increase its product range as other suppliers expand their presence in the market.
“China is the biggest competitor. I think we need to strengthen ourselves in that front as well. And in terms of irrigation equipment, again, a lot of competition comes from China,” he said.
Prof Jiri identified irrigation development as Zimbabwe’s immediate priority, saying it is vital to reduce farmers’ dependence on rainfall to secure consistent production.
“Our thrust at the moment is to really ensure that we develop as much irrigable land as possible,” he explained.
He called for Indian machinery and equipment designed for smallholder farmers working between one and six hectares.
“We need machinery and equipment that are relevant for the smallholder farmers such (as) A1 farmers, that would be good,” he said.
On cotton production, Prof Jiri observed that the country has long depended on Indian hybrid varieties, but stressed the need to expand seed supplies.
“We are importing 20 tonnes or so from India. We need to strengthen that, because one of the reasons why our cotton industry has declined is because of lack of appropriate seeds,” said Prof Jiri.
Fertiliser costs, he added, remain a major driver of high production expenses.
“Our cost of production is high, and it’s mainly because of fertilisers. So if we can find cheaper sources of fertiliser or even cheaper investment here, that would be very good for us,” he said.
Prof Jiri also pointed to ongoing efforts to expand silo capacity.
Ngwawi noted that SARDC was commissioned by the Indian Embassy last year to examine economic relations between Zimbabwe and India.
“Its findings identified agriculture as one of the most promising sectors for expanded collaboration. We convened a seminar where we presented the results of our research and one of the areas that participants pointed out was we needed to push agricultural cooperation because it’s a low-hanging fruit for both Zimbabwe and India,” he said.
SARDC, established in 1985 at the instigation of then Frontline States, is also seeking to work with the Ministry on a study of non-tariff barriers affecting trade between the two countries.
“We have a research proposal where we are trying to look at what are the non-tariff barriers that are affecting trade between our two countries. And we then said why don’t we rope in the Ministry of Agriculture at this early stage,” he explained.
“Our motto is that we produce research that informs development,” he added.
Ambassador Kumar reflected on the centuries-old relationship between India and Zimbabwe, noting that ties have strengthened considerably since Zimbabwe’s independence.
He pointed to rising Indian private-sector investment in fast-moving consumer goods and manufacturing.
“Indian investment into Zimbabwe has risen to like 1000 percent than what it was before 2015,” Kumar noted.
He indicated that India wants to translate strong political and people-to-people relations into deeper economic cooperation, with agriculture offering a natural starting point.
Kumar highlighted India’s experience in food security, commodity stockpiling and digital systems for farmers as potential areas for partnership.
New Ziana
