BY TONY M. MONDA
Energy production in Zimbabwe stands at 9,709 Gigawatt hours (GWh), with hydro-power at 4990 GWh contributing the most; followed by coal (4542 GWh), Biofuels (129GWh) and Oil (48 GWh).
Lack of essential maintenance coupled with droughts due to climate variability has negatively affect generation of hydro-power on Lake Kariba which accounts for about 80% of the hydro-power generated in the country.
Although the National Agricultural Policy Framework -(NAPF) 2018-2032, asserts that:“Access to affordable and reliable energy for agriculture across the value chain is critical to ensure competitiveness and comparative advantage of agricultural commodities within and outside the country”, only 40% of the population has access to electricity in Zimbabwe; 21% are in rural areas.
Inadequate investment in the energy sector has resulted in erratic power generation and supply does not meet demand.
In recent years some investments were undertaken by the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) in order to bridge the gap in energy supply – i.e.: the US$319m expansion of the Kariba South Hydro-power Station slated for completion in 2018, the planning of the US$2.9bn Batoka Gorge Hydro-power Station in collaboration with Zambia, the US$1.5bn Hwange Thermal Power Station to be completed by 2021, and the US$202m Solar Power Plant in Gwanda were expected to close this gap.
Despite these investments however, fuel wood still provides about 53% of the total energy in the country. About 63.5% of households depend on fuel wood for their cooking and heating requirements.
The communal areas with the larger energy supply gap are faced with wood fuel shortages due to unsustainable harvesting of wood and clearing of land for agricultural production.
Despite these challenges, the country’s abundant renewable resources for sustainable energy production have not been exploited.
While the initial set up of alternative technologies may be capital intensive, there is high investment potential in renewable energy such as bio digesters, mini-hydro, solar energy, solar water heaters, bioethanol and biodiesel energy as essential development strategies to stabilize energy access and reduce costs in supply.
Together with energy challenges, low production and productivity, access to markets and access to finance have been cited as challenges faced by the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe.
Declining agricultural investment has negatively affected agricultural productivity and overall production.
With support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and other stakeholders, the National Agriculture Policy Framework (NAPF) 2018-2032, was conceived in the context of both domestic and global development conditions.
NAPF was expected to provide the necessary framework to guide and coordinate the development of agricultural sector in Zimbabwe with sector-specific policies and details of priorities, implementation and enforcement mechanisms to create a conducive policy and regulatory environment for agricultural development in Zimbabwe for national and household food and nutrition security.
To date, Zimbabwe is a signatory to various national, regional and international agreements and
frameworks which are focused on agriculture.
The NAPF therefore incorporates a set of development enterprises, targets, principles and values of key global, regional and national initiatives; including the UN’s Conventions (Agenda 2063 for Sustainable Development Goals, Feed for Africa Programme, Paris Declaration), the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
At a national level, the Framework was linked to national development results and outcomes articulated in the National Development Plan 2030, Zimbabwe Agricultural Investment Plan (ZAIP) 2017-2021, National Climate Policy and Agricultural Gender Policy among others.
At the continental level, Vision 2063 for Africa, which invariably finds practical expression through continental initiatives like Feed Africa that are funded through the African Development Bank, the European Union and the World Bank’s related Foundations.
These represent sources of investments for the realisation of Zimbabwe’s National Agriculture Policy Framework (NAPF) – 2018-2032.
The fast-track land reform (FTLR) of 2000, led to an increase in the number of communal farmers from 44% to about 74%.
This increased the number of farmers in communal areas who required service provision that had previously been excluded in the agricultural policy framework document that was premised on policies inherited from the colonial era.
This resulted in a corresponding increased need for agricultural research, technology and extension service provision and more human skills and development to respond to these new demands.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement (MLAFRR), rightly views agricultural education and training in Zimbabwe as an integral part of human capital development essential for agricultural growth potential and economic development of the country.
Dr. Tony M. Monda BSc. DVM. DPVM, is a agro-veterinary epidemiologist and an independent agro-economic consultant researcher with degrees in veterinary medicine, Soil Science and Land and Water Management. Contact him on 0773 805 700 or email
tonymichelmonda93@gmail.com or tonym.MONDA@gmail.com
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