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Elita Chikwati
Agriculture Reporter
It takes many Zimbabwean youngsters years after finishing high school and tertiary education to discover where their true passions and purpose lie.
But for Pardon Mhuri (35) of Karoi in Mashonaland West province, when he was just a seven-year-old boy, he had always imagined the day he would be called “farmer”.
It took several patient years of learning and hard work helping his grandparents in Gokwe, where he developed an interest in farming at a tender age.
Through unwavering passion for farming and mentorship, Mhuri’s dream has come true — from just growing crops on two hectares to 863 hectares.
He was brave enough to venture into agriculture despite the challenges that go with farming as a business.
And recently, his passion for farming paid off in a big way.
Pardon scooped the National Young Champion Farmer award, which he was bestowed by the highest office in the land.
The awards provided him and other young farmers with an exciting platform to showcase their talent and the youth in the agriculture start-up scene.
Mhuri’s journey to success was long and winding.
After finishing his secondary education he tried other professions. He become a driver and later ran a hardware.
“The moment I managed to raise some money, I went back to farming and this time, I was doing it as a business and not for subsistence,” he said.
Pardon has been in the farming business since 2013. He has seen his fortunes grow from one layer to the other.
“Farming has always been in my blood, but the major challenge was lack of capital. When I realised I had enough money to start farming I went back to agriculture with a determined heart.
“I started with only two hectares of tobacco. Farming requires a lot of patience and to do things properly. One can have a small hectare, but if you follow the proper procedures you will always have high yields at the end of the season.
“From the two hectares I grew gradually and now am leasing 863 hectares of arable land which I am fully utilising,” he said.
In the 2019-2020 cropping season, Pardon harvested 300 000 tonnes of tobacco, 60 tonnes of sugar beans and 60 tonnes of wheat.
The young farmer has also diversified into horticulture and grows onions, tomatoes and cabbages among other crops.
His drive for farming and learning is so potent that it took precedence over self-doubt.
Mhuri has undergone training in different fields of agriculture to enhance his knowledge and skills.
“I always attend farmer trainings as they are quite helpful. A farmer needs to keep abreast with current technologies and trends, farming methods and even crop varieties to boost productivity.
“Climate change is taking a toll on agriculture and training helps the farmer to know the technology to apply and correct varieties to use to boost production,” he said. Farming is not an easy business. It is quite demanding and harrowing.
Mhuri, just like any other farmer, still faces numerous challenges when it comes to accessing funding, markets and land.
“As youths we are funding ourselves. Banks require collateral and in some cases immovable property of which most of us do not have. They require millions of dollars of value for collateral and we do not have such properties.
“I now rely on my own proceeds to fund my farming activities,” he said.
Lack of access to land is still a huge challenge given the complex process involved, especially for the youth to secure it.
“It is very expensive to lease a farm. Some of the farm owners demand 10 percent of the gross profit. Tobacco is a capital intensive crop and once someone is getting 10 percent of your gross, it becomes unviable,” he said.
The young farmer said production could increase if they had access to land, funding and irrigation equipment since rain-fed agriculture had become difficult due to climate change.
“Climate change has affected agriculture and it is no longer viable to rely on rain-fed agriculture. We need to have access to irrigation equipment so we can produce throughout the year,” he said.
Mhuri strongly believes that the youth have a role to play in agriculture and eventually growth of the country’s economy.
“You start small and grow as you go. You mobilise funding and the business will later support itself. I did not start with 863 hectares. I only started with two hectares and grew slowly. Just do it perfectly. Rome was not built in a day so you need to be patient and do it step by step,” he said.
He said his soul was buoyed by the recognition being given to the youths excelling in the agricultural sector.
“I am happy that our efforts as youths are being acknowledged. I am also happy that the Government is opening up more space for youth participation in agriculture. This will certainly empower them and leave them better equipped to face the future,” he said.
Recently, President Mnangagwa urged stakeholders to make farming attractive to the youths so that many young people get into agriculture as a business and create a new youthful agribusiness culture in the country.
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga also noted that there was merit in sparing just a day to honour the work of young farmers.
He said the Government wanted to ensure agriculture retains its critical space in the economy and one way of achieving this was through reviving the young farmers’ clubs to ensure all agriculture graduates from colleges prioritise farming as a noble career rather than seeking employment.
Youth involvement in agriculture needs to be encouraged and promoted.
The youth have the potential to revolutionise Zimbabwe’s food and agriculture sector and generate economic growth.
About 200 million people in Africa are aged between 15 and 24 and as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) puts it, they represent “a large potential reservoir for the growth of the agriculture sector.”
Youth involvement in agriculture can contribute to improving the sector’s image, increase productivity and returns to investment and provide new employment opportunities.
In 2018, the then FAO sub-regional coordinator for Southern Africa Dr Patrick Kormawa said: “If we have young people as lead farmers, then I know we have a great future.
“We must involve our youth in farming. We must fight with our young people to kick out hunger and poverty.”
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