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Elita Chikwati Features Editor
AGRICULTURE has provided a rewarding career choice for many youths with many venturing into crop and livestock production while others are experts in different sectors.
Government has also availed opportunities for the young blood to fill in leadership positions within the Ministry and its parastatals.
By giving young people a chance to participate in agriculture, Government has not only ensured food security but also promoting sustainable development and cultivating a new generation of agricultural leaders.
This is a major step towards building a brighter future for all.
The Agricultural Rural Development Authority(ARDA) is one of the parastatals being led by young blood, chief executive Tinotenda Mhiko.
As the youngest CEO of State-owned enterprises in Zimbabwe, Mhiko has served as a role model, and influencer leader who creates positive transformation and high impact outcomes in the communities especially those in which ARDA operates.
Since his appointment in march 2021, Mr Mhiko has been working on establishing transformative linkages for sustainable funding, marketing of commodities produced Arda estates and boost production at rural irrigation schemes in line with NDS 1.
ARDA was also repositioned as a key player towards the achievement of Vision 2030, as enunciated by President Mnangagwa.
Mr Mhiko is an agricultural technocrat and turnaround strategist with management experience and expertise in each and every stage of the entire agricultural value chain from primary production to processing, distribution and regulation of final processed agricultural products (Farm to Fork).
Mhiko has been at the helm of Arda for more than two years concentrating on the transformation of the parastatal whose fortunes had drastically waned before he took the reins. Process expected to transform rural livelihoods in line with Vision 2030.
ARDA has been placed on a turnaround and growth trajectory to drive its new mandate as a vehicle for rural development and industrialisation, national food, feed, fibre, biofuels, and seed security for the attainment of Vision 2030.
Mhiko is a holder of Bachelor of Technology (Honours) Degree in Post-Harvest Technology, Master of Science Degree in Agronomy Specialising In The Management of Technologies of Production, Processing and Regulation of Agricultural Products, Masters Degree in Business Administration and Doctor of Agricultural Technology Degree (PhD) Majoring in Agri Food Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Algorithms (Current Studies), and over 35 international certifications in agricultural digital technologies and business leadership.
The CEO has scooped several individual and institutional awards and honours in various categories including the 2023 CEO of the year award — CEO Africa Round Table (CEOART), Zimbabwe CEO’s Network 2023 — Platinum Winner Young CEO of the Year and Top Young CEO 2022 — CEO Africa Roundtable 2022 Awards for Top 20 CEOs in Zimbabwe among others.
He also received a Special Recognition Award of Outstanding Contribution to the Growth and Development of the Wheat Value Chain in Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Wheat Board).
When he came to Arda, Mhiko devised and implemented a wide range of projects and programmatic interventions working hand in hand with other Government departments to uplift the livelihoods of people in different communities.
Under the youthful leader, Arda has been spearheading the resuscitation of various irrigation schemes across the country to ensure food security in the areas and income generation.
This is an ongoing process targeted at ultimately managing at least 460 irrigation schemes across the country.
“These irrigation schemes have over 1.1million direct and indirect beneficiaries.
“Through the revolutionary innovations, ARDA has successfully implemented the V30 Accelerator Model within seven months of his joining ARDA, whose proof of concept is the Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme, which was launched by His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” he said
For the first time ever in the history of Zimbabwe, a thriving wheat crop was established in Lupane District, Matabeleland North Province.
Beneficiaries of the project have also been employed by the irrigation scheme and are receiving a monthly salary regulated by National Employment Council for agriculture rates.
The same arrangement has also been replicated at Chivhu Irrigation Business Unit and Redwood Irrigation Scheme Business Unit and this has seen a major improvement in people’s livelihoods.
The irrigation scheme projects are being implemented under the V30 Accelerator model.
“This is a business model that ensures irrigation schemes are run sustainably and profitably. These are being registered and run as companies. The 460 irrigation scheme business units employ 900 youths (one resident ISBU Manager and one Bookkeeper).
“This prowess has also been demonstrated with the establishment of a nutritional garden (Village Business Unit) at Makorokoro village, Mangwe District in Matabeleland South Province, itself a hitherto forgotten outpost of underdevelopment and marginalisation.
“The Village Business Unit (VBU) which is located in arid desert sands, was also launched by President Mnangagwa under the auspices of the Presidential Rural Development Programme and is being replicated in 35 000 villages across the country,” he said.
Mr Mhiko said the 35 000 Village Business Units will recruit 145 000 youths upon full roll out (one resident VBU Manager, one Bookkeeper and two-night watchmen per VBU).
“School Business Units (SBUs) will recruit upon full roll out 19 200 youths (one resident SBU manager and one bookkeeper).
“As we speak, a rotation crop of maize has been established this summer season, in the process benefiting the households who are shareholders of the scheme while doubling up as its employees,” he said.
ARDA is also implementing the joint venture programme that has seen thousands of youth farmers accessing inputs for maize and sorghum production as part of Government efforts to guarantee food security in light of the ensuing El Niño weather phenomenon, dovetailing with ARDA’s mandate of guaranteeing national food security.
The parastatal has also come up with Youths at School Business Units (SBUs) and Village Business Units (VBUs) which are being rolled out in collaboration with the parent Ministry and other parastatals.
“During the course of the season, youths and women are employed. When they harvest and market the produce, the profit after tax is shared equally among the households as dividends.
“Arda programmes have transformed these rural areas while the some of urban household beneficiaries have transformed from subsistence and peasant farming to surplus and commercially oriented farming.
“The programmes have transformed rural household beneficiaries to active economic participants contributing to both provincial and national GDPs,” said Mr Mhiko.
As a result of these synergies in the 2022/23 winter season, Arda programmes ta the estates produced 83 000 tonnes of wheat representing a 23 percent contribution to the annual national wheat requirements.
This was a 36 percent jump compared to the prior year.
“For the 2022/2023 summer season, 79 000 tonnes of maize grain was produced, which is an 8 percent contribution to revised National Strategic Grain Reserve requirement of one million tonnes.
“I have always believed that there is no limit to human ingenuity, innovation, and achievement especially where there is a will.
“This applies both to personal and general ambition in terms of possibilities. There is every reason for the young people of our country to believe in themselves and pursue their goals. Some people still have a perception of the old ARDA and what we have set out to do is to place it on a pedestal in which it is the leader in farming and guarantor of national food security,” said Mr Mhiko.
He said in the coming years, ARDA should be the centre for excellence as a well as the employer of choice, seeing as it that our economy is largely agriculture-driven and anchored, harnessing the advancements made in precision farming technologies.
“That way, we should be able to leapfrog our country’s economic development and industrialisation,” he said.
Online Reporter