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Elton Manguwo

AS the push to equip farmers with critical farming knowledge gathers steam, the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme through the Agricultural Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) has distributed 1 175 bicycles to farmers selected to train others in a farmer-to-farmer extension model.

Generally referred to as ‘lead farmers’ such farmers are often viewed as role models identified by their communities and extension officers to train and support fellow farmers in specific technologies or concepts.

In a statement the SIRP project coordinator Mr Ordreck Mukorera said they managed to distribute 1 175 bicycles to lead farmers who were trained in Matabeleland South, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands provinces.

“The bicycles were given to each lead farmer to ease mobility and ensure effective coverage,” said Mr Mukorera.

The lead farmers were trained on thematic areas of good agricultural practices, farming as a business nutrition, post-harvest management and natural resources management using a customised Lead Farmer Manual covering all the five thematic areas developed by SIRP.

“The lead farmers were capacitated to train other farmers on production to achieve business viability and profitability,” said Mr Mukorera.

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The lead farmers will pass the knowledge they mastered during training to fellow farmers to compliment extension officers in discharging technical services critical at a time like this when there is great need to orient farmers with new technologies designed to help increase production while mitigating the harsh effects of climate change as well.

“Each lead farmer is expected to recruit and train 15 follow-on farmers whom they will mentor in all aspects of production,” said Mr Mukorera.

The lead farmers will be accompanied by extension officers who will provide them with technical support. One extension officer will be supporting a circle of five lead farmers.

Mr Mukorera also highlighted that SIRP had provided record keeping templates and registers to ensure lead farmers recorded activities they did with their follow-on farmers.

“We are on a journey to achieve Vision 2030 and one of the key issues is to change and improve the way we do farming in the country. Extension service workers are crucial for supporting and feeding farmers with the pertinent expertise,” Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera once commented.

The agriculture sector is key in ensuring food security, therefore enhancing extension services is important towards boosting production on the backdrop of climate change challenges and the current global supply chain disruptions.

“We believe that extension services will transform the agriculture sector, so we have to capacitate the extension wing to make it more robust and responsive to the needs of farmers,” said Dr Basera.

Recently the Government operationalised village farmer field schools to provide a centralised point where the farmers will interact with extension services workers to improve knowledge mobilisation.