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Agriculture Reporter
A Mozambican agricultural expert has challenged Zimbabwean graduates from colleges to use their knowledge to solve challenges faced in the sector.

Officiating at the graduation ceremony where 65 students were awarded with national diplomas in agriculture at Blackfordby Agriculture College in Concession last week, Mozambique Leaf Tobacco national agronomy co-coordinator Mr Steve Kanhandula said graduates should use their expertise to increase agricultural production and enhance rural development.

“The worldwide pressure to ban tobacco through anti-tobacco groups is another challenge which threatens the industry,” he said.

“To cope with these challenges, we need high qualified professional staff with technical and managerial skills. The pressure is ultimately transferred to all stakeholders in the industry, including our farmers.”

Mr Kanhandula said there was need to protect the industry through responsible good agricultural practices and education for farmers.

“Good agricultural practices: environmental issues including re-afforestation, agricultural labour practices and crop diversification are the four key areas to be addressed in the industry,” he said.

Blackfordby principle Mr Moses Suluma said the college was working towards aligning itself with emerging trends in agriculture.

“In acknowledging that farmers were diversifying out of mainstream tobacco production in the 1990s, focus was changed from the Tobacco Diploma to give birth to the General Diploma in Agriculture, which now features tobacco amongst many other commercial enterprises,” he said.

“We are also making efforts to embrace small scale production systems in recognition of the critical role that A1 and communal farmers are now playing with special reference to the production of tobacco and not only in Zimbabwe, but in Malawi and Mozambique as well.”

Mr Suluma said the college was excited to be part of government‘s long term vision and aspirations concerning agricultural development in Zimbabwe.

“The recent introduction of agriculture as an examinable subject at Grade 7 as well as the creation of the new ministry to oversee issues of psychomotor skills development in educational and tertiary institutions both resonates well with what Blackfordby stands for both, now and in future,” he said.

“It is our wish to strategically place ourselves so that we are an integral part of ZimAsset which seeks to boost economic growth and development through several key strategies by investing in sustainable and robust solutions to address the challenges of food insecurity and undernourishment.”

Malawian student Mr Chimole Hassan graduated with a first diploma class and received seven awards for excelling in different subjects, while 14 got distinctions in various subjects and the rest got general diplomas.