Sugar production remains a staple of Zimbabwe’s agricultural economy

Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector is seeing remarkable growth in 2025, with both sugar production and horticultural exports pushing the industry forward

According to IH Securities' 2025 Agriculture Sector Report, the country’s agricultural output is now on track to exceed the US$13.75bn mark by the end of the year, following the impressive US$8.2bn milestone in 2021.

Key drivers of this expansion include improved rainfall, significant government investment in infrastructure like dams, and a renewed focus on high-value crops such as horticulture. This revival is expected to bolster the economy and enhance food security, especially after a challenging 2024 marked by the El Niño-induced drought.

Sugar production remains a staple of Zimbabwe’s agricultural economy. Major producers, including Hippo Valley and Triangle, surpassed national requirements with over 440,000 tonnes in the 2024/25 season. Exports also soared, with Hippo Valley’s sugar shipments increasing by 364%, reaching 15,711 tonnes in just the first quarter. However, local consumption is under pressure, with high costs due to a 30% surtax on imports and a recently adjusted sugar tax. “The recently imposed 30 percent surtax on imports has helped local processors remain competitive, though major off-takers battle with additional costs,” explained IH Securities.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s horticulture sector is on an upward trajectory, led by avocados and blueberries. Avocado production jumped by 164% from 2017 to 2024, establishing Zimbabwe as Africa’s fifth-largest producer. With global demand rising, exports of blueberries have surged by 351% from 2020 to 2024, reaching about US$50mn. The sector’s growth is further supported by initiatives like the Horticultural Enterprise Enhancement Project (HEEP), which aims to inject US$66.5mn into smallholder farming.

Looking ahead, Zimbabwe’s horticultural exports are expected to hit US$2bn by 2030, with demand for products like blueberries, avocados, and sugar peas driving this growth.

As the country diversifies its agricultural exports, the sector is poised to overcome domestic challenges and secure new streams of revenue, fortifying Zimbabwe’s economic future.

Morocco’s olive oil sector is on the brink of a transformation.

Morocco’s olive oil industry is gearing up for a breakthrough year, with production expected to more than double by 2025

After a difficult 2024 season that saw output capped at around 90,000 tonnes, producers are now forecasting 200,000 tonnes of olive oil—thanks to improved growing conditions and a stronger harvest outlook.

Behind this optimism is a projected olive yield of around 2 million tonnes, compared to just under 1 million tonnes the previous year. For many growers, the shift comes down to better weather. Cooler temperatures during flowering and fewer heatwaves have helped restore the balance needed for healthy olive development. Producers in Marrakech, including the Zaouia Cooperative, say these conditions have allowed trees to bloom more evenly and recover from earlier climate stresses that had impacted both quality and volume.

Domestic demand remains strong, with annual consumption nearing 140,000 tonnes. This means Morocco could have a surplus of around 60,000 tonnes for export next year—a valuable opportunity as global olive oil markets tighten and prices continue to rise.

The country is also becoming more competitive internationally. In August 2025, revised US import tariffs gave Morocco and Argentina a 10% duty rate, while countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal were hit with higher rates of 15% or more. Tunisia and Turkey face even steeper import barriers, giving Moroccan producers a chance to level the playing field against dominant European suppliers.

In 2024, Morocco’s olive oil exports to the US were relatively small—just 3,835 tonnes, worth around US$38mn. That’s just 1.2% of the total US import market, which reached over US$3.3bn. But as global dynamics shift, and with a growing emphasis on quality and traceability, Morocco is positioning itself to be a more prominent player.

With improved yields, a favourable trade environment, and rising consumer interest in premium oils, Morocco’s olive oil sector is on the brink of a transformation. The next harvest season could mark a significant step forward—not just in volume, but in global visibility and long-term industry growth.

This collaboration has meant not only increased food security but also a more sustainable livelihood.

In Bomet County located in the Rift Valley region of Kenya, Hellen Rono is already preparing her farm for the new planting season

After a successful tomato harvest, which seemed improbable just a year ago, she is optimistic about her future crops. Like many farmers in the region, Hellen had traditionally depended on rainwater, but it was never enough for her commercial ambitions. The cold climate added to the challenge, prompting her to invest in a greenhouse. She believed it was the solution to her problems, but her first attempt ended in disaster.

“I planted tomatoes inside my greenhouse, which is eight metres by 15 metres, and they started germinating and growing well. However, midway through the growth process, the tomatoes began withering one by one, just as they were about to flower,” Hellen said. The withering continued until nearly 10 plants were dying each day.

Instead of giving up, Hellen reached out to agricultural officers who confirmed the plants were infected with tomato wilt. “We were told that there was no medicine for the disease. They advised us to irrigate the plants with plenty of water to prevent further withering,” she explains. With her farm relying on Bomet County water for both domestic and agricultural use, Hellen's water bill soared as she was using around 200 litres per day to irrigate the tomatoes. Despite the increased irrigation, her greenhouse remained flooded, but the damage was done—by the time some plants began to fruit, the entire crop had withered. There was nothing to harvest.

This setback led Hellen to research tomato wilt online, where she discovered tomato grafting, a technique from China that combats the disease. She also learned that high temperatures inside her greenhouse were another contributing factor, causing the flowers to drop and halting fruit production. “When scientists supervised my greenhouse, they reported high temperatures. At the time, I could not work inside the greenhouse from as early as 10 am because it was unbearably hot,” Hellen says.

Upon receiving training on how to regulate greenhouse temperatures, Hellen reduced the number of tomato plants from 500 to 250. The results were immediate. “We planted both grafted and non-grafted tomatoes in the same greenhouse. After a month, the non-grafted tomatoes started withering, while the grafted ones flowered consistently,” she says. “The grafted plants were not infected, and they continued to fruit, leading to a bumper harvest.”

Hellen's grafted tomatoes yielded impressive results. “It took 75 days to start harvesting grafted tomatoes, the same as the non-grafted ones. However, the grafted ones lasted much longer, with the first harvest weighing 6.8kg compared to 5.1kg from the non-grafted. The grafted plants reached an incredible 73.2kg, while the non-grafted ones barely made it to 8.7kg before dying.”

Yutao Liu, professor & director of the Confucius Institute at Egerton University, highlights the positive outcomes of using technological innovations in farming. "The graft seedling is resistant to disease, while the normal seedling is not. This is an example of the promising future of agricultural technology, particularly through the partnership between China and Kenya," Liu explains.

The collaboration between Egerton University and Nanjing Agricultural University has seen the establishment of 18 demo sites across Nakuru, Kisumu, Bomet, and Subukia. These sites showcase the grafted tomato variety, which has shown promise with a six-month harvest period per planting season. However, to grow grafted tomatoes, farmers need to have greenhouses.

The China-IFAD South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) initiative, funded by the Chinese Ministry of Finance, is behind this project, which aims to provide rural youth and farmers with innovative horticultural solutions. Steve Codjo, a regional analyst for China-IFAD SSTC, explains, “South-South cooperation is about knowledge exchange. We wanted something tangible that would serve the smallholder farmers for the long term.”

For farmers like Hellen, this collaboration has meant not only increased food security but also a more sustainable livelihood. This demonstrates that when technology is adapted to local contexts, it can break cycles of agricultural loss and empower rural communities.

Collaborative strategies aim for a resilient Africa that proactively addresses risks. (Image Credit: AU)

In a significant move for public health and environmental sustainability, the African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have jointly launched two key frameworks: the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prevention and Control Strategy (2025–2030) and the Africa CDC Strategic Framework on Climate Change and Health (2025–2029)

These strategies represent a unified, cross-sectoral approach to combating the intertwined challenges of zoonotic diseases and climate change across the continent.

Speaking at the launch event in Addis Ababa, Huyam Salih, director of AU-IBAR, called for action, urging stakeholders to move beyond mere declarations:“Let us move beyond declarations—now is the time for united, cross-sectoral action. I call on all stakeholders to embrace the One Health Strategy as a continental imperative. Together, we must forge a new era of health security, where animal, human, and environmental health are protected as one. Africa’s resilience depends on it, and our future demands it.”

The strategies were developed through a collaborative and evidence-based process that involved Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), technical partners, and civil society organisations. The overarching goal is to create a resilient Africa that addresses risks proactively rather than reactively.

Raji Tajudeen, the deputy director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention echoed this sentiment, stressing the urgency of moving from rhetoric to results: “These frameworks are more than strategy documents; they are Africa’s collective commitment to protecting our people, our ecosystems, and our future. We must move from rhetoric to results. The time to act is now, and the responsibility rests with all of us.”

Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health, Ethiopia highlighted the interconnectedness of health, ecosystems, and economies across Africa, stating: “Our health, ecosystems, and economies are deeply intertwined. We cannot protect one without investing in all. This is a call for action, not another declaration.”

With more than 75% of emerging human diseases originating from animals and climate change intensifying health risks, the new frameworks seek to strengthen surveillance, improve early warning systems, and integrate public, animal, and environmental health responses. These strategies offer both a roadmap and a call for decisive, coordinated action for a healthier, more resilient Africa.