Chronicle Editor
Business Reporter
PERMANENT Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr John Basera, has urged the youth in Zimbabwe to increase their participation in agriculture and contribute to the sector’s transformation.
Making agriculture more attractive to young people can help create decent employment opportunities for them in rural areas and reverse perceptions and stereotypes that agriculture is hard and less attractive to venture into.
“I think we need to organize a #YOUTHSINAGRIC Coffee sooner. The zest & enthusiasm is incredible. Youths are such a critical piece in the agric transformation jigsaw. You have a big role to play in the attainment of Vision 2030 objectives,” he posted on his Twitter handle.
The youth make about half of the country’s estimated 15 million people and should play an important role in shaping and influencing the direction of Zimbabwe’s future food security. However, a number of young people still complain that agriculture is hard and boring, with little income.
And yet migrating to urban areas no longer guarantees jobs and employment opportunities and increasingly many development organisations now say it is critical to mainstream youth participation in all rural development programmes.
Online Reporter