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Sharon Shayanewako
BESIDES improving agricultural productivity, the establishment of agriculture innovative youth hubs across the country’s provinces will also alleviate the current high levels of unemployment among youths given that farming is now being treated as a business.
Loosely defined, an innovation hub is a physical space that brings together researchers, creators and innovators to nurture ideas into industry-changing products and services.
Current statistics show that youths constitute 62 percent of the total population, which makes it prudent to harness this population stratum to enable it to contribute to the economic development of the nation.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Dr Shadreck Makombe recently stressed that agriculture was a major economic player and the implementation of Youth Innovation Hubs would alleviate unemployment among the youths.
“Agriculture Innovation Hubs will go a long way in assisting youths in many facets of development because agriculture is on the country’s key economic drivers found in all agro-regions.
“Many of the youths are also going to be part of these innovation hubs thereby alleviating unemployment and enhancing their empowerment.
“All this will lead to the achievement of Vision 2030 because the activities that will come out of the hubs will definitely accelerate many of such investments and business ventures.”
In the weekly report for August 15, 2022, chief director Agriculture and Rural Advisory Services, Professor Obert Jiri, said the youth trainings had been initiated by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to develop youths’ skills for best practices in agriculture.
“All provinces except Mashonaland Central, have received cattle. Masvingo province still to get its balance of 40 heifers. At least 10 tractors have also been availed for use by the centres,” said Professor Jiri.
He added that tenders had been awarded to suppliers of materials that include the youths’ fencing requirements.
Zimbabwe Integrated Commercial Farmers Union president Mrs Mayiwepi Jiti said youth hubs would enable youths to have an appreciation of agriculture and to see which area is best for them.
“Through these hubs, youths will have a full appreciation of how they can participate in the agriculture sector and see which areas are best for them, for example, some might be interested in the process of production whilst others can focus on value addition or research simply because agriculture has a wide range of sectors.
“This will provide the youths with room to bring in new technologies and innovations to improve agricultural productivity and this will improve their livelihoods,” she observed.
Mrs Jiti added that these hubs would also motivate the youths to work hard once they get into the agriculture sector because they would get the chance to interact with their counterparts from different areas or other surrounding districts to share ideas and encourage each other.
Innovation hubs are key to harnessing the potential of young people for the development of the nation.
The implementation of youth Innovation Hubs will feed into President Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper middle income economy by 2030 that is meant to make sure no one or place is left behind, as the country develops economically.
The hubs will help improve youths’ livelihoods and make them more productive than they currently are. Globally, youths are considered the future of any country hence the need to have them taking part in important developmental agendas.
This will also keep them away disruptive behaviours such as drug and substance abuse, as they would have found something to keep them occupied and looking for ways to add value to the farming profession through various innovations and research.
Online Reporter