Story by Courage Bushe
ZVISHAVANE – AS climate change continues to pose a threat to food security, production and productivity around the country, village business units farmer field schools have been identified as possible solutions to the farmers’ predicament.
The Second Republic continues to fulfil its rural industrialisation drive with the Mapanzure community in Zvishavane District, being the latest to benefit from the village business unit farmer field school, where communal farmers had the opportunity to exchange notes and enhance their farming techniques in the presence of agricultural experts
“We are grateful to the Second Republic for establishing this unit because it has helped us in a good way. Today, we are having a field school in the presence of agricultural experts, after this, there is going to be a major difference in our farming,” a farmer said.
“As farmers from Mapanzure area, we are blessed to have this school. This is the first of this nature and we have learnt a lot in terms of enhancing our agricultural enterprises. We are grateful to the President for his vision which is impacting our lives,” another added.
As part of the rural development 8.0 model government is seized with transforming the agriculture sector.
“This is one of the 19 business units in the district and as government, we are on track to make sure that Vision 2030 is achieved. We are targeting to establish youths and school units and make sure that each ward has a youth and a Village Business Unit. We want to improve livelihoods and ensure that food security is ensured at ward or village level,” Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri said.
The farmer field school concept provides a central point where farmers interact with extension officers on ways of solving agricultural problems independently.
