The Zimbabwean government aims to build a 600,000-metric-tonne strategic grain reserve by October 2027, with the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) currently holding 365,688 tonnes, Cabinet announced.

The initiative is being supported by the Enhanced Strategic Grain Reserve Pillar, which is leveraging artificial intelligence-powered silos to strengthen the country’s grain storage and management capacity.

In a post-cabinet briefing on Tuesday, the government said the GMB held 365,688 metric tonnes of grain as of November 9, 2026.

The Agricultural Rural Development Agency (ARDA), the country’s food security agent, contributed more than 90 per cent of the grain received into the Strategic Grain Reserve.

The government also reported progress under the Presidential Gratitude Grain Collection initiative, which encourages households to contribute 10 kilograms of grain towards the national reserve.

The initiative has so far collected 8,678 metric tonnes, representing a 19 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme has established 14,971,621 plots, representing 93.3 per cent of its target, according to the briefing.

Government said 914 Ward Drought Mitigation Centres (WDMCs) had also been established across the country’s 1,527 rural wards as part of efforts to strengthen resilience against drought.

On irrigation development, the country now has 308,969 hectares under irrigation, with 119,068 hectares earmarked for maize production during the 2026/27 summer cropping season.

The government said it was also prioritising agricultural productivity through soil health improvement initiatives, including the development of a new soil fertility map.

The measures form part of broader efforts to strengthen national food security and build the country’s capacity to withstand climate-related agricultural shocks.