Zimbabwe, FAO join to strengthen agricultural extension services

The Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement (MoLAFWRR) with technical support from FAO has launched a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) aimed at strengthening agricultural extension services in Zimbabwe.

Dr. John Basera, Permanent Secretary in the MoLAFWRR launched the project virtually due to COVID-19 measures and said the program aims to improve access to extension and advisory services by smallholder agricultural producers in the country.

The TCP will be implemented upto December 2022 in four districts namely Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe and Mutoko in Mashonaland East province and Hurungwe and Chegutu in Mashonaland West province. The program is being funded to the tune of US$500,000.

Pervasive low productivity

“The government of Zimbabwe is very much aware of the critical and pivotal role agricultural extension and advisory services play in imparting practical knowledge and skills to farmers and are some of the key drivers of agricultural growth in the various plans and strategies. The extension capacitation drive entails increasing the mobility of extension staff through provision of motorcycles and fuel, increased interventions towards appropriate and relevant training opportunities as well as equipping extension officers with digital technologies for effective technical backstopping of farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices,” said Dr. Basera.

Frequent droughts and unstable macroeconomic conditions have continued to hinder the country’s ability to effectively deal with the pervasive low productivity in the sector resulting from many factors including, high cost of inputs, inadequate availability of quality inputs, unstable prices, liquidity challenges and weakened extension system.

The Government of Zimbabwe with support from FAO has taken major steps in this by outlining the intentions and strategic focus for steering and implementing the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy (2020-2030).