The governing of Zimbabwe has been recommend to direct farmers to pay farmworkers in United States dollars to extenuate the continuous erosion of wages through inflation . This follows a corporate bargaining agreement ( CBA ) reached on 21 May 2025 that purports to increase farmworker wages by almost 100 % but still leave the wages way below the poverty datum lineage .

In the CBA payoff were increase by 91.94 % but the depressed paid workers get Z$2,380 while the highest pay gets Z$4,708 . At the prescribed pace of conversion US$ 1 is worth Z$68 . This means the new salary officially are between US$ 35 and US$ 69 . The poorness data point line jumped by more than 100 percentage from Z$3,398 ( US$ 50 ) in May to Z$8,484 ( US$ 125 ) in June , the rural area ’s statistical agency ZimStats pronounce in June . The annual rate of pretentiousness was 737.3 % in June , while monthly inflation rate rose to 31.7 % from 15.1 % in May allot to ZimStats .

“ salary are crushed despite our drive to negociate monthly , ” say Austin Muswere , escritoire - general of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers ’ Union of Zimbabwe . “ We are not happy with the outcome but we keep force for something good . ”

He called on government to officially mandate that farmworker wages be pay off in United States dollars . “ As long as the governing does not mandate the payment of wages in US dollar mark the wearing restrain depressing the farmworkers ’ income . ”

Government , through Statutory Instrument 86 of 2020 , designated agricultural work an all-important serving in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic . But despite being an essential service , the government has not interpose with the wage of agriculture worker hence they carry on to earn reward far below the food basketful .

“ The government deliberately take out Agriculture Department from the home lower limit wage and this has negatively affected our negotiations , ” Muswere said . governance does not enforce corporate bargaining agreements in the agribusiness sector hence employers in the sector seldom ever effect them . “ Farmer have never accepted any wage increase , ” Muswere said . “ They cite viability challenges , liquidity problems , a shrinking market and the encroachment of COVID-19 . ”

Spokesman for the Commercial Farmers Union Chrispen Mununga said it was almost unsufferable to pay US buck salaries due to the costs of product which have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic . “ cost of yield are quite eminent for farmers as they are being squeeze to buy local inputs which are usually more than double the cost of import once , ” Mununga said . “ Non - food export food market have been move . cost of freight have been boost because of low-pitched numeral of cargo flight of stairs . ”

He said this has hit especially heavily the slue - bloom industry but farmers were try out their serious to soften their workers from the rigorousness of the hyperinflationary environment . “ Times are difficult but farmers have tried what they can to proof their workers . ”

Most farmers add food for thought hampers to the worker ’ remuneration but these hardly make a difference . “ Not all workers are come intellectual nourishment hampers but we have tabularize this in all negotiations and encouraged all employer to allow for cost of living adjustment and solid food hampers , ” Muswere said . “ But wages in hard currency would help a great heap mitigate the farmworkers ’ troth . ”

rootage : Women@Work Campaign