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Elton Manguwo
IT is crucial to create a conducive environment for the participation of youths in agriculture to boost production given that the country has since identified farming as one of the key drivers of economic development.
Newly elected president of the Federation of Young Farmers’ Club of Zimbabwe (FYFCZ), Mr Tinashe Muchedzi made the call during an interview with The Herald Agri-Business recently.
“As a group of young farmers, we are looking to complement the Government’s efforts in the development of the agriculture sector through solutions that position the young farmers for success in the industry,” said Mr Muchedzi.
The Government through various programmes such as the provincial youth integrated hubs and establishment of a youth desk in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is targeting to exploit the youth demography.
“As young farmers our thrust and mind-sets should be anchored on seeking and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities in the agriculture sector through participating in various value chains,” added Mr Muchedzi.
Mr Muchedzi highlighted how FYFCZ looks set to satisfy both the domestic and export markets, as the country sets its sights on reclaiming the breadbasket of Africa tag.
“We are exploring different ways on how best we can produce for both the domestic and lucrative export markets,” he continued.The Government is mainstreaming the adoption of business principles in agriculture in a move that can transform the agriculture sector into a multi-billion-dollar economy.Mr Muchedzi stressed how access to capital should be strategically remodelled to encourage youths’ uptake of loans to increase production and profitability given that they would be already armed with agriculture start-ups.
The agriculture sector is considered strategic in terms of high employment opportunities since most production systems are labour intensive, hence the push to develop an enabling environment for youths’ participation at all levels of the agriculture value chain.
More so, the young farmers group seeks to take advantage of its broad membership to have a competitive advantage over established big companies and commercial farmers.
“In our ranks we have capable young farmers and are looking to get the best from each other in terms of strategic partnerships to come up with home-made solutions,” said Mr Muchedzi.
In addition, the new 20 percent youth land allocation quota is set to propel aspiring young farmers into agricultural production, as the country aims to gradually replace the ageing farmer population to ensure continuous production.
As the Government strives to transform the agriculture sector to be more business driven, the involvement of young farmers will accelerate the rate of adoption of business practices in farming.
Online Reporter