Players in the agricultural sector are set to convene tomorrow for the opening of the National Agriculture Conference and Expo 2026, as the industry faces severe climate headwinds ahead of the upcoming summer cropping season.

Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, in partnership with Africa Economic Development Strategies and the Agricultural Marketing Authority, the two-day event runs from 24 to 25 September under the theme Transforming Agriculture for Resilience, Investment, and Inclusive Growth.

The conference comes at a critical juncture for Zimbabwe’s economy. The agriculture sector accounts for roughly 10% of gross domestic product and provides livelihoods for over half of the national workforce.

The sector remains the foundation for industrial raw materials and foreign currency earnings via cash crops like tobacco and cotton.

However, recurring weather volatility, structural deficit import bills, and production deficits in major staples continue to weigh heavily on national fiscal buffers.

According to the Meteorological Services Department seasonal outlook, Zimbabwe faces a high probability of below-normal rainfall for the 2026/27 summer cropping season.

Driven by the El Niño weather phenomenon, rainfall deficits are projected to be most acute during the crucial October-to-December planting period, heightening dry-spell risks and threatening crop development.

The conference targets two primary structural policy outcomes, namely establishing a disruptive localisation strategy to eliminate Zimbabwe’s US$2 billion agricultural import bill, and deploying a transformative growth strategy to position the country as a regional food hub.

Delegates, policymakers, and private investors are expected to deliberate on climate-smart financing, irrigation infrastructure development, drought-resilient seed technologies, and localized supply-chain strategies to mitigate the impact of the projected drought.