Online college for farmers

THE Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Department has introduced an online Agricultural Learning College that is set to improve farmers’ agricultural knowledge.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the country’s economy with the Government working on consolidating gains that have been made under the Second Republic.

The country has become food sufficient and stopped the import of maize and wheat.

Zimbabwe boasts of eight agricultural colleges which are Esigodini Agricultural College in Matabeleland South, Chibero Agricultural College and Gwebi Agricultural College in Mashonaland West, Mlezu and Rio Tinto Agricultural Colleges in the Midlands, Mazowe Veterinary College in Mashonaland Central as well as Shamva Agricultural College and Kushinga-Phikelela in Mashonaland East.

A number of the country’s universities also have various degree programmes encompassing agriculture.

Through the Department of Agricultural Education, The Zimbabwe Online Agricultural College will be supported by the existing agricultural colleges run by the Ministry. The director in the department, Dr Jonathan Ndondofema, told Chronicle during the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair that the online college had started enrolling students who are set to commence studies in August.

“Experience is the best teacher; we have students who are 100 percent resident at the college and the entry qualifications are specifically five O-Levels including Maths, Science and English. In the process of training, there was the Covid-19 outbreak and during that era we faced many challenges in training students. Movement was disturbed and groups were discouraged as well so we thought of keeping in the training mode of our students as we did not want to create a gap. We designed some online training with those students,” he said.

Dr Ndondofema said a lot of people across the country acquired farms through the land reform programme but few have the requisite farming expertise hence the introduction of the online programme.

He said they had reduced entry requirements to enrol at the online college as a way of attracting more farmers.

“We have also realised that there are people who are into different value chains but without adequate knowledge and skills. Some benefited from the land reform programme so we want to take on board those people and equip them with the sciences and practices of agriculture hence this new online learning format. We’re going to embrace all those people who are interested and have at least three O-Levels or any professional or academic qualifications,” said Dr Ndondofema.

He said students will register through the existing agricultural colleges dotted across the country and will be assisted by the colleges in their learning.

Mr Ndondofema said the enrolled students will do practicals at their farms monitored by lecturers from the existing colleges.

“We’re ready to commence the training program in August this year. We keep improving and embracing technology so that we keep training. Agriculture is a practical concept so we want to emphasise the element of practising. Even if you are outside Zimbabwe, we will devise models to access and equip our students on practical skills although currently our emphasis is within the country. As we are piloting, we want to modify, moderate and review the course,” he said.

Dr Ndondofema said assessment will consist of both the written exam, which will be done online, and the practicals.