Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Youth in Agriculture Summit

3 - 6 August 2015. Durban, South Africa. The purpose of the summit was to engage, motivate and support youth involvement in agri-business opportunities along various profitable and exciting agricultural value chains.

Some of the delegates that attended the Youth in Agriculture Summit for Southern Africa were from various Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries and Agricultural organisations.

They included Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena, SADC Executive Secretary and CCARDESA Executive Director Prof. Timothy Simalenga. (right on the picture)

The main objectives of this summit was to involve youth in agri-business to transform and improve the agriculture sector in the SADC region. Other primary goals were to increase food security and improve rural livelihood.

Themes:
  • Farming as a Business: Towards addressing poverty and unemployment for youth 
    Teams from South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
    Botswana, Madagascar, Swaziland and South Africa,
    winners of the Hackathon project
  • ICT Revolution in Agriculture: How youth can participate in and benefit from developments in ICTs in agriculture 
  • Precision Agriculture and the role of youth in innovations and agribusiness solutions 
  • Climate smart agriculture, mechanisation and innovative solutions for future agricultural practices
  • Crop, Livestock and Fisheries value chains and markets: Oppotunities for agribusiness 

Youth Summit Presentations
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
There were several commitments made by the committee and organisation to transform youth
Field visit at an organic farming community garden.
in agriculture in the Southern Region. The committees made an emphasis on building the capacity of the youth through knowledge management, learning and information sharing across the region.
That will enable youth with training and equipping youth with skills and knowledge in agribusiness along the various value chain through science, technology and innovation.

Videos:
Profiling Ruramiso Mashumba: 29-year-old young farmer Ruramiso is producing sweet peas in Marondera, Mashonaland East.



Profiling Kundai Musarurwa: Born in Zimbabwe, studied in the States, coming back to Zim to be one of ZFU's most successfull and innovative Young Farmers. She is currently running a peri-urban farm in Ruwa, Harare, producing mushrooms, pigs and seedlings in a Hydroponic-system.



Profiling Bright Nezomba
Bright Nezomba Bright's story is something to remember. Losing his parents at a very young age he was raised by his grandmother in the Honde Valley, Manicaland. Although being interested in farming, Bright went to the mines when they discovered diamonds in the area. But soon he realized that farming is a better and more rewarding business to be in. Therefore he left the mines and came back to farm on his grandmother's land. To date this remarkable 25 years old young farmer has a plot of 1.5 hectares under production. Producing bananas on 0.7 hectares on a contract basis he is able to produce maize on the rest of the land. He managed to gather other young farmers and start to work in a producer group with them and make use of the advantages of group schemes in agricultural production.

 

Profiling Dominic Machingura Listen to an exciting account of an upcoming Young Farmer Dominic Machingura who after attending the inaugural Zimbabwe Youth Agriprenuership Summit 2014, decided to start his farming Journey.



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