IFAD launches sorghum mechanization pilot to boost smallholder incomes in Zimbabwe
Pilot project seeks to cut post-harvest losses and increase rural incomes through youth-led mechanization services.
ZIMBABWE – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), working with the Government of Zimbabwe and private sector partners, has launched the pilot phase of the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission Pillar 3 (FARM P3).
The project focuses on improving the country’s sorghum value chain to support smallholder farmers, reduce post-harvest losses, and promote sustainable farming.
Sorghum remains one of Zimbabwe’s most drought-tolerant crops and a key part of rural food security. Yet, smallholder farmers continue to face barriers that limit its full potential. These include labor-intensive processing, poor access to mechanized tools, and challenges meeting market quality standards.
“Sorghum could be central to building Zimbabwe’s climate resilience, but it remains underutilised. By engaging private-sector partners from the start, the FARM P3 pilot opens a pathway to overcome these challenges and spread benefits across the country, supporting small-scale farmers to become more productive and more prosperous,” said Alex Nyakatsapa, the Senior Value Chain and Agribusiness Advisor of SACP.
Through the FARM P3 pilot, IFAD and its partners will test mobile threshing and other mechanization services aimed at reducing grain losses, raising yields, and linking farmers to buyers and processors. The approach emphasizes practical, market-driven solutions that connect farmers with structured value chains.
Youth-driven enterprise and partnerships
The one-year pilot will involve about 6,000 smallholder farmers in major sorghum-producing districts and will identify around 50 mechanization service providers, including youth and lead farmers.
These service providers will receive training, mentorship, and support to access finance and create profitable businesses that serve rural communities.
“Through FARM P3 we not only test equipment that raises smallholder incomes in Zimbabwe, but also work with buyers, financial institutions, youth entrepreneurs and farmers to build business models that create jobs and make mechanization affordable, profitable, and sustainable,” said Francesco Rispoli, IFAD Country Director.
Rather than delivering the services directly, the project will focus on building a supportive environment for private-sector investment and scalable service delivery.
This strategy aims to ensure that local entrepreneurs can take the lead, creating long-term employment and growth opportunities across the value chain.
A foundation for scale and sustainability
The FARM P3 pilot represents a focused 12-month intervention that will lay the groundwork for wider expansion in future phases. By combining technical support, financial linkages, and policy alignment, the initiative seeks to make sorghum farming more profitable for smallholders while strengthening national food security.
As Zimbabwe continues to face climate-related production risks, initiatives like FARM P3 signal a renewed commitment to climate-smart agriculture and inclusive rural development.
Through stronger partnerships, practical innovation, and youth-led enterprise, IFAD and its collaborators aim to turn sorghum into a driver of both income and resilience for farming communities across the country.
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