AT the age of 29, Mr Nduna Zembe has broken stereotypes that farming is for the older generation.

He is one of many young farmers that are changing the face of Zimbabwe’s agriculture.

At that youthful age, Mr Zembe who hails from Chemagora, a village in Zimbabwe’s Gokwe South District, is taking up farming as a viable career option.

Mr Zembe, is one youth whom other youths can emulate because he is courageously venturing into empowering agriculture territories.

At first glance Mr Zembe is no different from any other youth. But once you get to know him, you will realise that he is far from typical. He is an adventurer, armed with well-defined business plans and is determined to shape his own distinctive career path.

He is progressing with zeal and enthusiasm to change the world around him, make a difference with his ideas, seek solutions that have never been sought, fight social norms, run successful ventures and generate employment for many.

Mr Zembe is involved in various agricultural activities and one of them is cattle rearing.

“I am involved in cattle rearing. Currently I have 270 cattle. Our number is adding day by day as we are in the calving season. This cattle business was started by my dad long back in the early 90s but unfortunately he died in 2000. I was still a small boy but I had seen how he was doing it because every time when he was doing something he would be with me.

“I was left with my mother and we continued with the business until she also died in 2005. I now had to carry the task of running the cattle business even though I was young. I strived through and I gave it my all. Up to today I have never given up,” said Mr Zembe.

Mr Zembe said he sells most of his cattle to Kwekwe Abattoir and from time to time they’re private entities who buy from him at the farm.

“Some farmers also come and buy from us for breeding and most times breeders buy a lot,” said Mr Zembe.

Being a farmer has benefited him a lot as he has grown from being a small-scale farmer to a medium-scale commercial farmer.

“Also, I have benefited greatly from agriculture such as acquiring so many farm inputs like tractors and various types of farm equipment. I have also acquired skills to do more numerous agricultural projects,” said Mr Zembe.

His business is not only benefiting him but also helping uplift other members of the community.

“I have employed cattlemen and women who do domestic work. Our employees benefit from our work in that every month we pay them their salaries in United States dollars. We buy them some hampers, and every year end they choose one heifer of their choice from our herd,” he said.

Mr Zembe highlighted that his expertise in farming has earned him eight agricultural awards. This has led to community members looking up to him for advice on how best to keep healthy herds.

The eagerness among members of his community to learn from him has pushed him to educate them mostly in fodder production so that they don’t lose their cattle to hunger.

“What I do is that during field days especially beef shows I take my time to teach other farmers on growing fodder crops in order for them to maintain healthy herds.

“For farmers who are on WhatsApp we have groups consisting of the farmers where I give lectures and for those on Twitter we have weekly space discussions on Tuesdays where I teach on various topics pertaining livestock farming,” said Mr Zembe.

He added: “Farmers in my community also visit my farm and I help them to establish some feeding structures such as feeding troughs, water troughs and stovers. Then there are some who are underprivileged whom I give some feeds if I have and I also accept those animals that are very thin to come and feed at my farm for a week or two for them to gain a bit of weight.”

Besides cattle rearing Mr Zembe recently ventured into poultry farming. He is working on establishing 50 000 layers, 50 000 broilers and 100 000 road runners.

“I also plan on keeping goats and my target number is at least 500 but I wish to get them to 1 000 or more,” said Mr Zembe.

On his advice to other young people who want to venture into farming Mr Zembe said: “Never think farming is a walk in the park. Farming pays for sure but there are so many challenges associated with it. For example, part of the challenges that I face are that I am faced with theft each and every year.

I remember in 2017, I lost 16 fully-matured oxen that I was fattening for beef sales. Then sometimes there are veld fires which destroy pastures and this forces me to do stover feeding. In a nutshell I can say farming requires extra patience for you to realise your success and also put in a lot of effort and be hands-on.”

Mr Zembe is one of the youths whose farming initiatives are important to the country because the youth make about half of the country’s 13-15 million people and thus should be encouraged to play an important role in shaping and influencing the direction of Zimbabwe’s future food security.

Youths should also be motivated to venture into farming because those who become farmers now have the opportunity to be the generation that ends world hunger and alleviate malnutrition, as well as helping the sector adapt to climate change.

There are many challenges ahead for the agricultural sector and if young people are offered education in agriculture, a voice at policy level, and are engaged with innovations then the agriculture industry can attract youth again.

If Government and other stakeholders can tap into young people’s skills, energy, creativity and willingness to take risks, African youth could play a critical role in revitalising rural communities and enhancing agricultural productivity.