Chiredzi – Zimbabwe is transforming the underutilised Nuanetsi Ranch into a flagship agricultural production hub, with water from the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam now being fully harnessed to drive food security, export growth, and the country’s 2030 upper-middle-income economy vision.

Backed by 25-year lease agreements and the Government’s rural industrialisation agenda, private investors are rapidly converting thousands of hectares into productive sugarcane and citrus plantations, with cultivation expected to reach 1,000 hectares by year-end—up from the current 224 hectares already under sugarcane.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Hon Dr Zhemu Soda, who led a media tour of the area on Friday, said the scale of development proved that strategic public-private partnerships could unlock significant economic value from previously idle state land.

“What we have witnessed is quite encouraging. This was virgin land that had never been exploited before, yet significant investment has already been made,” said Dr Soda. “It demonstrates what can be achieved through strategic partnerships between Government and the private sector.”

Organised resettlement underway

The Minister moved to dispel misinformation surrounding the project, clarifying that the developments are accompanied by an organised resettlement programme.

Around 14,000 families who previously lived along the Runde River are being relocated to planned settlement areas with secure land tenure and improved access to services. So far, 2,100 families have already been resettled and allocated land with proper documentation.

Government is also extending water infrastructure to these new settlements to boost agricultural productivity and living conditions. Dr Soda described the exercise as land reorganisation designed to ensure orderly settlement while unlocking the area’s economic value.

Massive investment and employment

The tour visited Lyonais Enterprises and Honzero Agro Projects—two investors that have signed leases with the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) to develop between 2,500 and 5,000 hectares each.

The specific section showcased covers roughly 2,500 hectares, with the investor committing to bring an additional 700 hectares under irrigation before the end of this year.

Beyond primary production, the projects are already generating employment for local communities in land preparation, irrigation infrastructure, crop establishment and logistics, with downstream industries—including sugar processing and transport—expected to follow.

“The production targets we have seen here are testimony that Zimbabweans can achieve much more when they have access to capital and innovative financing arrangements,” Dr Soda added.

Water utilisation milestone

The Minister noted that concerns over the under-utilisation of water from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam—the country’s largest inland water body—were now being addressed through these productive investments, providing a reliable foundation for year-round farming.

The Nuanetsi Ranch developments are poised to significantly contribute to Masvingo Province’s ambition of growing its economy to an US$8 billion provincial GDP through agriculture, mining, tourism and infrastructure, cementing its position as a key agro-industrial hub under the Second Republic’s value-addition agenda.