# Ministry of Agriculture (Rhodesia)

The Ministry of Agriculture was a cabinet ministry of the government of Rhodesia. It was responsible for overseeing the nation's agricultural development.
The Ministry of Agriculture was established during the colonial period of Southern Rhodesia. It retained the same structure when Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965. The Ministry of Agriculture employed more black Africans than any other branches of the Rhodesian civil service. Many black Africans served as Ministry of Agriculture extension officers and conservation officials. The ministry also published the Rhodesian Agricultural Journal.
The ministry was led by the minister of agriculture, who was appointed by prime minister. The first minister of agriculture following the UDI was the Duke of Montrose, and the last was Mark Partridge. In 1979, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe Rhodesia as part of the Internal Settlement. In 1980 Zimbabwe gained its independence and the ministry was succeeded by the Ministry of Agriculture of Zimbabwe.

## List of ministers
### Agriculture

| № | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | Title |
| 1 | William Muter Leggate | 1 October 1923 | 2 February 1925 | Rhodesia Party | Sir Charles Coghlan | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 2 | John Wallace Downie | 2 February 1925 | 2 September 1927 | Rhodesia Party | Sir Charles Coghlan | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 2 | John Wallace Downie | 2 September 1927 | 17 October 1927 | Rhodesia Party | Howard Moffat | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 3 | Osmond Charteris du Port | 17 October 1927 | 29 September 1928 | Rhodesia Party | Howard Moffat | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 4 | Robert Alexander Fletcher | 29 September 1928 | 19 May 1932 | Rhodesia Party | Howard Moffat | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 5 | George Mitchell | 19 May 1932 | 5 July 1933 | Rhodesia Party | Howard Moffat | Minister of Mines and Agriculture |
| 5 | George Mitchell | 5 July 1933 | 12 September 1933 | Rhodesia Party | George Mitchell | Minister of Mines and Agriculture |
| 6 | Charles Spearman Jobling | 12 September 1933 | 14 November 1934 | Reform Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Agriculture |
| 7 | Frank Ernest Harris | 24 August 1934 | 14 November 1934 | Reform Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Agriculture |
| – | Frank Ernest Harris | 14 November 1934 | 7 May 1946 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 8 | Patrick Bissett Fletcher | 7 May 1946 | 8 March 1951 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 9 | John Moore Caldicott | 8 March 1951 | 7 September 1953 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| 9 | John Moore Caldicott | 7 September 1953 | 5 February 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| – | Patrick Bissett Fletcher | 24 December 1953 | 5 February 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Agriculture and Lands |
| – | Patrick Bissett Fletcher | 5 February 1954 | 5 February 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Agriculture |
| European agriculture responsibility of the Federation, 1954–1962 (see list) |||||||
| 10 | Herbert Jack Quinton | 24 September 1962 | 17 December 1962 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Agriculture |
| 11 | The Duke of Montrose | 17 December 1962 | 14 April 1964 | Rhodesian Front | Winston Field | Minister of Agriculture |
| 11 | The Duke of Montrose | 14 April 1964 | 22 May 1964 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources |
| 11 | The Duke of Montrose | 22 May 1964 | 31 December 1966 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture |
| 12 | George Rudland | 31 December 1966 | 1968 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture |
| 13 | David Colville Smith | 1968 | 1976 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture |
| 14 | Rollo Hayman | 1976 | 1977 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture |
| 15 | Mark Partridge | 1977 | 1 June 1979 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture |
| − | Joel Mandaza (co-minister) | 27 December 1978 | 1 June 1979 | Zimbabwe African National Union | Ian Smith | Minister of Agriculture |

### Irrigation/water development

| № | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | Title |
| 1 | Geoffrey Ellman-Brown | 5 February 1954 | 6 August 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Roads and Irrigation |
| 1 | Geoffrey Ellman-Brown | 6 August 1954 | 4 October 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Irrigation |
| 2 | Patrick Bissett Fletcher | 4 October 1954 | 17 January 1958 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Irrigation |
| 3 | Eric Drew Palmer | 17 January 1958 | 17 February 1958 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Irrigation |
| – | Geoffrey Ellman-Brown | 17 February 1958 | 11 June 1958 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Irrigation |
| 4 | Rubidge Stumbles | 11 June 1958 | 24 September 1962 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Roads, Irrigation and Lands |
| – | Geoffrey Ellman-Brown | 24 September 1962 | 17 December 1962 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Irrigation |
| 5 | William Harper | 17 December 1962 | 15 February 1963 | Rhodesian Front | Winston Field | Minister of Irrigation |
| 5 | William Harper | 15 February 1963 | 14 April 1964 | Rhodesian Front | Winston Field | Minister of Water Development |
| 5 | Arthur Philip van Heerden | 14 April 1964 | 1973 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Water Development |
| 6 | Jack Mussett | 1973 | 1977 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Water Development |
| 7 | Mark Partridge | 1977 | 1 June 1979 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Water Development |
| − | Aaron Mgutshini (co-minister) | 27 December 1978 | 1 June 1979 | Zimbabwe United People's Organisation | Ian Smith | Minister of Water Development |

### Native agriculture/marketing

| № | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | Title |
| 1 | Ralph Drew Palmer | 17 January 1958 | 17 February 1958 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Native Agriculture and Marketing |