Online Reporter
Word From The Market
Tina Nleya
The hum of a vibrant market is more than the sound of trade; it is the rhythm of national development.
Each bag of maize, each packet of fertiliser and every exchange between buyer and seller represents the pulse of a living system: the agri-food system.
But as we walk through the markets of Mbare, Sakubva, Gweru or Gokwe, one thing becomes clear: the future is not as visible as it should be.
Where are the youths?
In a nation where over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 35, the question of youth participation in agriculture is not one of potential; it is one of urgency.
The launch of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Technical Programme for the Integration of Youth in Agri-Food Systems Transformation in Zimbabwe could not have come at a better time.
It is a signal, a spotlight and a strategy, and the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) proudly stands aligned with its core vision.
The youth dividend: Tapping into energy, innovation and ambition
The youth are not just tomorrow’s farmers; they are today’s innovators, entrepreneurs and digital trailblazers.
The agriculture of the past may have been defined by the hoe, the plough and the back-breaking toil of rural life.
But the agriculture of today and the future are defined by smart farming, drones, digital markets, climate resilience and data.
They are defined by young minds that can code irrigation systems, design mobile apps for livestock tracking, or create value chains that reach across borders.
AMA sees this clearly. As the national regulator and facilitator of orderly marketing, we understand that integrating the youths into Zimbabwe’s agri-food systems is not a luxury. It is a strategic imperative.
For too long, agriculture has been framed as a “last resort” for young people.
We must reimagine it as a first-class ticket to prosperity.
From seeds to markets: Rewiring the value chain for youth inclusion
What does youth inclusion look like in practice? It starts with a rewiring of the entire value chain. From production to processing, marketing to logistics, the youth must be integrated as value creators, not just labourers.
Input supply chains
Through platforms such as the AMA agro-input monitor, young people can identify pricing trends, track market opportunities and become micro-distributors of fertilisers, seed and agrochemicals in both urban and rural zones.
Agro-processing
Many youths are already venturing into peanut butter making, juice production and milling enterprises. What they need is market access, branding skills and mentorship.
AMA’s push for contract farming models and aggregation centres provides precisely the enabling infrastructure.
Smart markets
AMA is exploring the digitisation of produce markets.
Imagine a youth-led digital app that connects farmers in Nyanga with urban retailers in Bulawayo in real time; that is the future we envision.
Policy, platforms
and participation
The FAO programme rightly emphasises three key pillars: policy support, leadership development and institutional strengthening. For AMA, these translate into:
Inclusive policy design
The youth’s voices must be part of our consultative processes.
Whether we are crafting new commodity frameworks or revising statutory instruments, young agripreneurs must be heard at the table not just as beneficiaries, but as co-authors.
Youth leadership platforms
AMA is actively engaging youth-focused agricultural networks to elevate leadership, foster dialogue and build champions for orderly marketing practices.
Institutional capacity building
The authority is committed to working with vocational colleges, universities and innovation hubs to ensure that agriculture education is practical, entrepreneurial and deeply linked to real market demands.
Challenges remain — but so does our resolve
We are under no illusions. Challenges persist, from access to capital and land, to perceptions around agriculture, to limited rural infrastructure.
But each challenge is also a disguised opportunity for innovation. The youth, by nature, are problem solvers; give them a gap, and they will build a bridge.
AMA is working closely with other arms of Government, financial institutions and development partners to ensure that more inclusive financing mechanisms, such as agri-youth grants, revolving funds and cooperative-based models, are scaled up and streamlined.
Call to action: Ignite the movement
To the young woman experimenting with drip irrigation in Mutoko, to the young man coding a mobile agri-pricing app in Chinhoyi, to
the college graduate raising broilers in Chegutu, AMA sees you,
values you and stands ready to support you.
But beyond the youths themselves, this is a call to all stakeholders: parents, policymakers, educators, financiers and development agencies.
Let us build an agri-food system that does not just accommodate the youth, but celebrates, funds and prioritises them.
The future of agriculture in Zimbabwe is not in the past; it is in the palms of a generation that is daring, dynamic and determined.
At AMA, we believe the market must speak the language of the youth.
Because when the youth take ownership of agri-food systems, they do not just change the system, they transform the nation.
Tina Nleya is AMA’s marketing and public relations manager. She can be contacted on email: [email protected]. Word From The Market is a column produced by AMA to promote market-driven production.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter