The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development will convene the National Agriculture Conference and Expo 2026 next month to unlock sector growth while tackling persistent operational hurdles.

To run from September 17 to 18, 2026, the high-level gathering serves as a critical strategic platform to review national agricultural sector performance, mobilise structured investments, and align public and private stakeholders around the priorities of the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy Phase II.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development and the Agricultural Marketing Authority, with Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS) serving as the research partner, the conference will feature the launch of the Agricultural Investment Prospectus.

The prospectus will showcase bankable project opportunities across key value chains and infrastructure to attract domestic and international capital.

The conference will convene key stakeholders to review agricultural sector performance, mobilise investment and strengthen coordination towards a resilient and inclusive agricultural sector.

The two-day event will convene representatives from government ministries, financial institutions, private agribusinesses, research institutions, and international development organisations.

A primary deliverable of the conference will be the formal presentation and validation of the State of the Agricultural Sector Study, which outlines performance metrics and medium-term agricultural projections through 2027.

Attendees will also focus on establishing an operational delivery roadmap for the second phase of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy.

The conference will focus on yield productivity, climate adaptation, private sector finance mobilisation, domestic agro-processing, regional trade integration, digital farming technologies, storage and transport infrastructure, and rural economic development.

In addition to policy deliberations, the conference will feature an investment platform designed to present a pipeline of bankable agricultural projects to potential financiers and sponsors.

The National Agriculture Conference and Expo comes as the agriculture sector is projected to grow by 6.9% in 2026, supported by an increase in crop and livestock production.

According to the 2026 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review, significant output growth is expected from tobacco, maize, cotton and horticulture, and the livestock sub-sectors.

Tobacco output is projected at 400 million kilograms (kgs) this year, representing an increase of about 12.7% over the 2025 record output of 355 million kgs.

The 2025/26 agricultural season is projected to register a modest improvement in maize production, with output projected at 2.4 million metric tonnes (mt), a 2% increase from the 2.3 million mt recorded during the 2024/25 season.

Traditional grain output is projected at 390 272 mt, comprising sorghum at 290 216 mt, pearl millet at 87 677 mt, and finger millet at 12 379 mt.

Cotton production is projected to increase to 38 500 tonnes this year from about 28 900 tonnes in 2025, on account of the increase in area planted.

The livestock sub-sector is projected to maintain a positive growth trajectory in 2026, driven primarily by strong expansion in the dairy subsector and steady improvements in beef production.

The beef subsector is projected to record moderate growth in 2026, with beef slaughter output increasing by 2.8% from 108 000 tonnes in 2025 to approximately 111 000 tonnes.

The dairy sub-sector is expected to remain one of the strongest performers in the livestock subsector in 2026, with milk production projected to increase by 7.5% from 155 million litres in 2025 to approximately 166 million litres.

Agriculture remains central to food security, rural livelihoods, industrial inputs, exports and inclusive growth.

The conference provides a structured platform to align policy, financing, research, market access and implementation priorities around practical outcomes.