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Elton Manguwo
ALL is set for the inaugural roll out of on-line agriculture tutorials with the participating agricultural colleges already enrolling students for the programme that will start in August.
An initiative of the Government, the programme is designed to capacitate players in the agriculture sector with the latest industrial trends to boost production and productivity in line with the current push to make agriculture a key driver towards the attainment of Vision 2020.
Six colleges – will be participating in the programme.
Director in the Department of Agricultural Education under the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Ministry, Dr Jotamu Dondofema recently told this publication that recruitment of students was currently underway, as the country moves to create a farming business mind-set in key-resource persons in the sector.
“The programme that will be offered by the colleges will target key players in the agricultural sector such as farm owners, managers, supervisors, agribusiness entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers and equip them with a formal qualification,” he said.
Participants will study using information and communication tools in the comfort of their homes, farms or offices.
“One module has been designed in such a manner that participants will do practical lessons at farms within their localities,” said Dr Dondofema.
Minimum requirements to enrol are at least 3 ordinary level passes of any combination and any professional/academic qualification.
“The initiative will aim to capacitate and support beneficiaries of the land reform programmes and farm workers among others so they can effectively produce on their allocated land,” Dr Dondofema.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has made significant strides in modernising the sector and the online colleges will complement the effort of continuously improving farming for maximum production.
Dr Dondofema highlighted that the virtual agricultural colleges would bridge the knowledge gap for farmers who did not possess qualifications for farming and give them the right skills and mind to treat farming as a business.
“We believe the online platform will be one of the components needed to complete our capacitation drive,” said Dr Dondofema.
The Government has been mainstreaming information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture to provide farmers with vital information and data.
“The investment in ICT in agriculture is part of the Ministry’s strategy in the digitalisation of agriculture,” Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera once commented.
ICT solutions are critical for a sustainable agricultural sector, as they answer to the commands of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) framework and help mitigate effects of climate change for food security,” he said.
In addition, the access to real time data is the only way to empower farmers to ensure the nation undergoes economic transformation through agriculture.
Online Reporter