HARARE – In a major governance and agriculture policy shift, the Government has approved sweeping reforms aimed at cutting the cost of doing business in agriculture, reducing red tape, and improving productivity across the country’s farming value chains.
By Advent Shoko
The measures announced by Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, respond to long-standing concerns from farmers, agribusinesses, and exporters over high levies, duplicated permits, and slow regulatory processes.
In the Minister’s own words, Cabinet approved “a comprehensive package of reforms to rationalise licences, permits, levies and fees across the agriculture sector, aimed at improving the ease of doing business and boosting overall productivity.”
Agriculture remains a strategic pillar of Zimbabwe’s economy, with the official statement noting that the sector contributes “approximately 12% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over 30% of formal employment, and more than 60% of raw materials for industry.”
At the centre of the reforms is a deliberate attempt to ease pressure on producers and lower compliance costs.
Among the headline measures, the cotton buying point levy has been capped at US$200, down from as much as US$800, a reduction of up to 75%. As the statement puts it, this is intended to deliver “reduced compliance costs, improved farmer incomes, and enhanced market transparency.”
Government has also abolished Grain Marketing Board grain movement permits, a move the Ministry says will result in the “elimination of administrative bottlenecks, faster movement of grain, and improved market efficiency.”
Other major measures include:
1). removal of fish harvest fees
2). removal of import licences for agricultural equipment spare parts
3). rationalisation of Agricultural Marketing Authority licences and fees
4). lower selected regulatory fees for fertiliser producers and horticulture exporters
5). waivers for farmers importing equipment for own use
6). stronger legal penalties for theft of produce and farm equipment
The Ministry further stated that the removal of import licensing requirements is expected to bring “reduced machinery downtime, improved maintenance turnaround, and increased productivity.”
From a governance perspective, the package also signals a wider push to improve policy certainty and investor confidence.
According to the statement, the reform package is expected to “significantly improve policy predictability, regulatory quality, and ease of doing business in agriculture, key drivers of sustainable economic development and private sector growth.”
Cabinet says the reforms align with the broader ease of doing business agenda and support National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
For farmers on the ground, however, the biggest question now is implementation.
If fully enforced, the reforms could significantly lower production costs and strengthen food security. Yet, as previous reform drives have shown, the real test lies not in policy announcements, but in how quickly ministries, councils, and agencies comply.
In short, Harare has signalled that agriculture is open for business.
Now, the sector will be watching for delivery.
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