Moffat Mungazi
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
Government is on a renewed drive to train and equip peasant farmers with requisite and latest knowledge, skills and expertise for them to produce better yields and help to improve food security.
The program has contributed to increased agricultural productivity, improved food security and enhanced livelihoods for farmers and their communities and the Permanent Secretary In the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Professor Obert Jiri said that this year Manicaland province has over 1 900 farmers.
Speaking at the master farmer training graduation in Buhera Prof Jiri added that said the program is highly practical, with focus on hands-on training and mentorship and participants were taught about best practices in agriculture, including soil conservation, irrigation management and pest control.
“The master farmer training program evolved to address the changing needs and challenges of the agricultural sector. With its clear objectives of producing skilled farmers, promoting informed decision-making, facilitating knowledge sharing and cultivating self-reliance, the program has empowered countless farmers to succeed in an increasingly complex and competitive agricultural environment.
“As we strive to empower farmers and promote agricultural development, our current policy framework ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to access and benefit from effective training. To cater for the diverse needs and abilities of our farmers, we have established two distinct training tracks; ordinary and advanced.
“At the heart of our training program is a structured curriculum that covers a wide range of essential topics, that is from livestock, farm management, grain and cash crop production and irrigation management. Our curriculum is designed to equip farmers with knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
“We take immense pride in the outstanding achievements of Manicaland’s master farmer training program, which has yielded remarkable results. This year, we celebrate a record breaking graduation of 1 918 farmers, with Buhera district leading the charge.
“The program has made significant strides in promoting gender equality. With notable participation rate of female farmers, the program has successfully fostered an inclusive environment that empowers women to take an active role in agricultural development. This achievement not only promotes social equity but also unlocks the vast potential of women in agriculture,” said Prof Jiri.
Mrs Future Musunami said they gained a lot of valuable knowledge from the training and they are recording improved outputs in the fields.
“I made a good decision to be part of the trained farmers. We have changed the way we were doing our agriculture. We are in hot area with erratic rainfall so we need to focus more on traditional grains which doe easily succumb to drought.
“Pfumvudza agriculture which we were encouraged to adopt has proved to be a game changer as we managing to get something from the fields as compared in the past where sometimes you could not harvest anything,” she said.
Mr Alexio Mutema of ward 13 said the master farmer training has made significant impact on the way they undertake their operations which he said they have migrated from being peasant to commercial.
“Agriculture is our source of livelihood and we use it improve our lives. We were also trained on environmental management so that our agriculture remains sustainable. Through agriculture we have are producing our own food for consumption and selling surplus. We are sending children to school from proceeds of farming and its being possible because of the trainings we receive from extension officers,” said Mr Mutema.
