SADC ministers to discuss food security, livestock disease and fisheries at Zimbabwe summit

ZIMBABWE – Ministers in charge of agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and food security from Southern African Development Community member states are scheduled to gather in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, on 29 May for talks centred on food production challenges, livestock disease management and fisheries growth across the region.

The meeting, convened by the Southern African Development Community, will bring together government officials and technical specialists to examine the condition of regional food systems, climate adaptation measures and blue economy projects as countries continue to face pressure from changing weather patterns and economic strain.

South Africa’s Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, is expected to preside over the ministerial session as chairperson of the joint SADC committee responsible for agriculture, food security, fisheries and aquaculture matters.

Before ministers meet, senior government representatives from SADC countries are due to hold preparatory discussions on 27 and 28 May to assess ongoing agricultural and fisheries programmes and formulate recommendations for the ministerial gathering.

According to the SADC Secretariat, delegates will review progress on earlier regional resolutions and consider additional measures to improve food production systems and reduce the impact of climate-related disruptions on member states.

Food production and climate outlook

Among the issues expected to receive attention is the region’s food and nutrition security outlook, with ministers set to review rainfall performance during the 2025/26 season, along with agricultural output projections and expected climate conditions for the 2026/27 period.

The ministers are also expected to examine progress made under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, including findings from its fifth biennial assessment report, while discussions are planned to attract more young people into agribusiness and modern farming activities.

Regional agricultural initiatives such as the SADC Rice Development Strategy, together with harmonised seed and fertiliser regulations, are also listed for review during the meeting.

Livestock and fisheries agenda

Livestock disease control is expected to feature prominently following recent outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in several Southern African countries, with ministers due to receive updates on regional containment efforts, following calls by the SADC Council of Ministers in March 2026 for tighter border surveillance, coordinated vaccination campaigns and wider information exchange between member states.

SADC said the planned measures are intended to protect livestock-reliant communities, maintain regional trade flows and support food availability across the bloc’s 16 member countries.

The gathering will also assess fisheries governance and aquaculture expansion projects, including the implementation of the Programme for Improving Fisheries Governance and Blue Economy Trade Corridors (PROFISHBLUE), as well as tilapia breeding initiatives and proposed changes to the SADC Aquaculture Strategy and Action Plan.

SADC said outcomes from the Victoria Falls discussions are expected to feed into regional policy frameworks such as the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030, the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Strategy and SADC Vision 2050.

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