Abstract
Agriculture has long been a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s socio-economic development, shaping GDP, employment, and foreign exchange earnings. This study examines the relationship between agricultural production and economic growth, emphasising the sector’s continuing significance to the national economy. Over the past two decades, Zimbabwe’s agricultural performance has been constrained by land reform dynamics, climate variability, macroeconomic instability, and institutional weaknesses. Focusing on both crop and livestock production, the research assesses direct and indirect contributions to economic growth through a mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative insights and quantitative analysis. Data spanning 1980 to 2022 were obtained from ZIMSTAT, the World Bank, FAO, and IMF, and analysed using trend analysis and regression techniques. The results reveal a strong positive correlation between key outputs – such as maize, tobacco, cattle, and goats – and GDP growth, with periods of macroeconomic stability corresponding to improved sectoral performance. In contrast, policy uncertainty and climatic shocks reduced agricultural output and overall economic growth. Regional disparities were observed, reflecting uneven access to infrastructure and product resources across provinces. Persistent challenges include inadequate irrigation infrastructure, volatile input prices, limited market access, insecure land tenure, gender inequality, and youth disengagement, all exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, emerging initiatives such as contract farming, input support schemes, and irrigation development projects present viable pathways for agricultural revitalisation and sustainable growth.