Zim-Belarus widen agricultural partnership

Source: Zim-Belarus widen agricultural partnership –** herald**

Theseus Mauruki Shambare

Herald Correspondent

ZIMBABWE and Belarus are widening their agricultural partnership from conventional mechanisation to smart farming technologies, with the two countries targeting rural communities with tractors, drones and other equipment as part of efforts to raise production and strengthen food security.

The expanded cooperation comes as Zimbabwe moves to modernise its agricultural production systems, with Government seeking to extend mechanisation to villages while Belarusian companies explore opportunities in precision agriculture.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said Zimbabwe wanted every village to have access to mechanisation, starting with tractors and eventually progressing to other equipment.

“We want, of course, every village to be mechanised. So, to start with a tractor and to move on to other pieces of equipment, that will ensure that in every village our production is mechanised and modernised,” Prof Jiri said.

The partnership has already progressed through three phases of tractor supply, while Zimbabwe and Belarus are also cooperating in silo modernisation and expansion.

The third phase of the mechanisation programme is valued at US$169 million and targets the supply of more than 3 000 tractors and 80 combine harvesters.

Prof Jiri said the cooperation had contributed to an increase in Zimbabwe’s agricultural mechanisation development index from around 20 percent to more than 43 percent.

“Now we are seeing our mechanisation development index moving from as low as 20 percent to over 43 percent, which is a massive move in terms of the access and the utilisation of machines in our agriculture,” he said.

But the partnership is now moving beyond tractors and harvesters.

Belarusian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Yury Nikalaichyk said Belarusian companies producing agricultural drones were interested in entering the Zimbabwean market and transferring high technologies for smart agriculture.

“We have companies that produce agricultural drones for smart agriculture, and they are as well showing interest in entering the new market for them and cooperating in the transfer of high technologies,” Ambassador Nikalaichyk said.

The proposed drone cooperation could introduce precision farming technologies into Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, complementing conventional mechanisation with modern approaches to crop monitoring and farm management.

The developments come against the background of wider discussions between Harare and Minsk on strengthening Zimbabwe’s agricultural security.

The two countries are working on modernising grain storage facilities, while Belarusian companies are also exploring the supply of veterinary vaccines and the longer-term establishment of a local joint venture to manufacture some veterinary medicines.

Ambassador Nikalaichyk said Bison Agro Machinery, which is involved in the mechanisation programme, had established workshops and training facilities around the country to support machinery operators and maintenance personnel.

He said the broader cooperation was guided by a 2026-2030 strategic partnership roadmap signed by the two countries, covering agriculture and other sectors including education, healthcare, infant food production and women’s empowerment.

For Zimbabwe, the expansion of the partnership comes as Government seeks to make agriculture more productive and resilient while reducing dependence on traditional production methods.

Prof Jiri said mechanisation was central to achieving food security at village level.

“To modernise our agriculture, we must mechanise. We must move away from the hoe and ensure that we modernise our production through using modern equipment and modern technologies,” he said.

He said increased mechanisation would improve production efficiency and productivity across rural communities.

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