Zimbabwe Parliament backs ARDA wheat model, urges more funding

A parliamentary portfolio committee on Lands and Agriculture toured Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) farms in Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe, and praised the authority’s wheat production model. Legislator Isaac Tasikani noted that about 200 hectares of irrigated wheat had yielded impressive results, highlighting ARDA’s comprehensive support to farmers.

The committee plans to recommend increased government funding so the model can be expanded nationwide. Officials said broader adoption would strengthen Zimbabwe’s Strategic Grain Reserve, boost foreign‑currency earnings from agricultural exports, and create jobs, especially for young people, moving the country toward food self‑sufficiency by 2030. ARDA chief executive Tinotenda Mhiko said the authority is scaling up irrigation and mechanisation to support the expansion.