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Elton Manguwo

The Government has tasked agricultural colleges to spearhead programmes that promote rural industrialisation and uplift livelihoods of communities.

In an interview, the Department of Agricultural Education director Dr Jotamu Dondofema said the department served to develop human capital in line with the agriculture growth complementing various Government programmes in the Rural Development 8.0 agenda.

The recently launched agricultural education curriculum for development 5.0 focuses on transformational training hinged on pillars critical for rural development.

“Agriculture Education 5.0 now encompasses innovation and information communication technologies aimed at matching skills with industrial agriculture needs dovetailing into the development agenda of transforming the rural economy,” said Dr Dondofema.

Additionally, the training instils contextual, relevant, practical and quality understanding of major practices in agriculture. The contextual part facilitates leaving no one and no place behind echoing the dictates of Rural Development 8.0.

“The students are trained to have confidence and values in agriculture business enterprise management which dovetails into the Government thrust of creating successful businessmen,” said Dr Dondofema.

The agricultural colleges are expected to cultivate solutions for challenges through independent problem-based learning applying novel technologies and processes to modernise agriculture.

“The education system will produce graduates that are able to intervene at any part of the agricultural value chain transforming production, productivity and profitability,” said Dr Dongofema.

The agricultural colleges will also enhance sound implementation of Government programmes by facilitating the upscaling of Pfumvudza/Intwasa, Presidential goat programme and the horticulture recovery and growth as part of Rural Development 8.0.

“Students having gone through the new agricultural curriculum will facilitate research in rural communities addressing challenges being experienced in driving rural areas.”

The Rural Development 8.0 provides the business starter packs with households becoming commercial entities with the graduates providing the entrepreneurial skills creating linkages in the farming sector.

“Therefore, the new curriculum is developing a whole person with knowledge and skills. The skilled person will turn knowledge into tangible products creating employment and businesses that contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic product through agriculture,” said Dr Dondofema.

Recently the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka said the Ministry’s eco-chamber strategy was development that leaves no one, no household and no village behind and this was anchored on the agriculture and food systems transformation strategy and National development strategy 1 (NDS1).

The modernisation of the country’s agriculture colleges is part of the Government’s efforts of accelerating the attainment of Vision 2030 through agriculture modernisation and rural development.