By Desire Tshuma
Harare – The Zimbabwe Farmers Union has officially launched the first edition of the Zimbabwe Village Business Units Performance Competition today , 5 June 2026, aimed at scaling up commercially viable smallholder farming models across the country.
The launch took place at the ZFU Headquarters in Milton Park, Harare. The Union said the competition is designed to recognize and reward successful applications of the Village Business Unit Model, while promoting learning, accountability, and innovation at village level.
ZFU Secretary General Paul Zakariya said the concept aligns with the Union’s Vision of “a Commercialized, Resilient, and Viable Agricultural Sector,” as well as the Government’s National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030 goals for an upper-middle-income economy.
According to ZFU, the VBU Model plays a crucial role in shifting smallholder farmers and rural communities from subsistence production to integrated, market-oriented farming systems. The competition is open for registration to all wards operating under the VBU structure, with the Union encouraging broad participation to capture diverse approaches to commercial farming.
ZFU is also inviting the private sector to engage with the initiative, recognizing the role of market linkages, inputs, finance, and technology in strengthening VBUs and improving farmer incomes.
The Union further views VBUs as central to its proposed restructuring, where producer groups will form the foundation of the organization through aggregation centres for collective marketing and resource pooling, giving farmers better access to larger markets.
Officials said the competition will spotlight innovation at ward level and encourage wider adoption of the VBU approach across the country.