Youth in agriculture contribution to national food and nutrition security lauded

Harare (New Ziana) -Vice President General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga has applauded youth in agriculture for contributing significantly to national efforts to become food and nutrition secure through increased production.

He was speaking at a ceremony to award outstanding young farmers from across the country on Friday.

VP Chiwenga said the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is working closely with other Ministries through the “Whole of Government approach” to doing business.

He said women and youth have benefited immensely from the agricultural sector as they contribute about 70 percent of the production.

“Gone are the days when we say white collar jobs, no, we want khaki jobs. Let’s go and till the land as it is in the land that our survival is guaranteed. It is in the land where we came from and the land where we shall go,” he said.

VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe is ranked among the highest educated countries in Africa and the rest of the world, and challenged the youth to fuse their education and God-given resources like land to produce for the country.

He said it was pleasing to note that the majority of small-holder farmers, in excess of three million, are transiting from being largely subsistent to commercial farmers.

The Second Republic, he said, has directed all Ministries to establish fully fledged youth desks to promote structured youth participation in national programmes.

VP Chiwenga paid tribute to the Agriculture Ministry for taking heed of this call by the government and challenged other Ministries who were yet to do so to follow suit.

As chairperson of the food security and nutrition cluster, VP Chiwenga said he was encouraged that partnerships and collaborations have made the country food secure.

New Ziana