Shiri, agricultural graduates to meet

Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri is tomorrow expected to meet members of the Coalition of Agricultural Graduates of Zimbabwe (CAGOZ) at Gwebi Agricultural College to discuss new farming systems that will enhance agriculture in Zimbabwe.

In a statement, CAGOZ chairperson Mr Dickson Kubvakacha said the meeting will be a perfect opportunity to promote the use of new farming techniques for maximum utilisation of agricultural land.

“We should be the sources of ideas and programmes that other nations can emulate,” he said.

“We successfully carried out the historic land reform programme and it is now time to bring professionalism into the sector for the benefit of our economy.”

Mr Kubvakacha said there was need to support thousands of graduates in the agricultural sector for them to contribute meaningfully to the overall economy.

“We have come to the realisation that there is an immediate need to capacitate close to 30 000 agricultural graduates we have under various arrangements for us to contribute positively to economic growth,” he said. “Since our economy is agro-based, the best way to ensure economic growth is by creating a vibrant agricultural sector by turning our agricultural graduates into successful commercial farmers.”

CAGOZ is an association of agricultural graduates and professionals drawn from all agricultural colleges, polytechnics, universities and other recognised private institutions around the country.