Agricultural education to champion rural development
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.-The Herald
