Youth And Tech Put At Centre Of Rural Agriculture Push
The future of Zimbabwe’s rural economy will be written by young people with smartphones in their pockets, not hoes over their shoulders. That was the message from Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Prof. Dr. Obert Jiri, as he toured the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds in Bulawayo.
Speaking against the backdrop of agri-tech exhibits and modern farming demos at ZITF 2026, Prof. Jiri said young people must be seen not just as tomorrow’s leaders, but as today’s drivers of a new, technology-powered rural economy.
“Young people are not only the future but also the present,” he said, calling for deliberate efforts to make rural agriculture attractive enough for them to participate meaningfully.
Why Youth And Technology Matter For Rural Agriculture
Prof. Jiri’s comments come at a time when Government is pushing hard to transform agriculture into a business under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and towards Vision 2030. With youth unemployment stubbornly high and rural-urban migration draining talent from villages, policymakers are increasingly turning to technology as the bridge that can connect young people to opportunity on the land.
He argued that the rural economy must change shape if it is to capture youthful energy and skills.
“We must harness technology to drive young people into agriculture and rural economies,” he said, stressing that digital tools, automation, and data-driven farming can help shift negative perceptions about life and work in the countryside.
FFA Explainer:
Digital agriculture, or agritech, refers to the use of technologies such as mobile apps, sensors, drones, data platforms, and automated equipment to plan, monitor, and manage farming. For Zimbabwean youth, it offers a way to apply ICT skills directly to production, marketing, and finance in crops, livestock, and fisheries.
Youth-Led Business Units As Rural Investments
The Permanent Secretary said Government has already started building a youth-focused foundation in the countryside by piloting youth-led business units as a form of rural investment by young people themselves.
These units, which align with broader initiatives like Rural Development 8.0 and the expansion of Village and School Business Units, give young people a defined space to run commercial activities in areas such as horticulture, livestock, and aquaculture, with structured technical and financial support. [SOURCE REQUIRED: official policy reference describing youth-led business units]
By placing ownership and responsibility directly in the hands of young entrepreneurs, the model aims to show that rural-based ventures can deliver both profit and pride.
In districts like Marondera and Mazowe, some young farmers have already started experimenting with climate-smart horticulture and small-scale fish ponds under these models, using mobile apps for record-keeping and sales coordination. [VERIFY: Marondera and Mazowe examples]
“They Don’t Want This Dirty Approach”
Prof. Jiri was blunt about one of the biggest barriers to attracting youth into agriculture: image.
He noted that many young people associate farming with drudgery, low returns, and outdated methods.
He emphasised the need to identify “smart, digitally empowered value chains”, because young people, in his words, “don’t want this dirty approach” to agriculture and land-based investments. Instead, they are drawn to ventures that are clean, technology-rich, and visibly scalable.
That shift, he argued, is not cosmetic. It goes to the heart of how agriculture is organised, financed, and presented as a business.
For example, precision irrigation systems, app-based extension support, remote sensing for crop health, and digital marketplaces can all turn what used to be manual, guesswork-heavy tasks into data-driven decisions that appeal to tech-savvy youth.
Stories of young agritech innovators across Zimbabwe already show how drones, solar-powered pumps, and mobile platforms are redefining what it means to be a farmer under 35.
Cage Fish Farming And Blueberries: Smart Value Chains For Youth
On the ZITF tour, Prof. Jiri pointed to specific value chains that lend themselves to youth participation and technological innovation.
He highlighted cage fish farming and high-value crops like blueberries as examples of sectors where young people can see immediate potential to apply their technological knowledge.
In cage fish farming, youth can use digital tools to monitor water quality, manage feed schedules, and track growth rates in real time, often via mobile phones linked to sensors installed on cages in dams and reservoirs.
FFA Explainer:
Cage fish farming involves growing fish in large netted enclosures (cages) suspended in open water bodies such as dams or lakes. The cages confine the fish while allowing water to flow freely, making it possible to farm at scale with relatively low land use — ideal for youths who may not own much land but can access water bodies.
Blueberry farming, meanwhile, requires careful control of irrigation, soil conditions, and post-harvest handling. It is an export-oriented crop that often uses digital monitoring systems, cold chain logistics, and traceability platforms — all areas where ICT-trained youth can thrive.
In places such as Shamva and Nyanga, early blueberry projects have already demonstrated that technology-heavy, high-value crops can turn small plots into significant income sources for rural families, especially when linked to export supply chains. [SOURCE REQUIRED: confirmed locations of blueberry projects]
As one young agripreneur from Mashonaland East remarked on the ZITF sidelines, “If I can apply the same tech mindset I use for coding or gaming to running a fish cage or a berry tunnel, then agriculture suddenly becomes interesting.” [Illustrative — verify or replace]
Agriculture As A Business – Even For Young People
Throughout his tour, Prof. Jiri repeated one central idea: agriculture must be treated as a business, including by youth.
He argued that when young people see clear business models, transparent pricing, and structured market access — supported by technology — they are far more likely to commit to rural enterprises instead of abandoning them for city jobs.
By combining digital tools with youth energy and creativity, he said, Zimbabwe can build a new wave of appealing, youth-driven investments for rural development.
This vision is firmly in line with Government’s broader agenda to industrialise agriculture, build competitive value chains, and create decent jobs in rural areas under NDS1, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For smallholder farmers around Murehwa, Gokwe, or Binga, this push means that the next generation of farm leaders may be their own children — running cage fish operations on local dams, managing blueberry tunnels, or coordinating produce sales via mobile apps.
As Prof. Jiri put it, agriculture is not just about producing food; it is about building viable businesses in rural spaces that young people are proud to own and grow.
From the buzzing exhibition halls of ZITF 2026 to the quiet ponds and orchards of Zimbabwe’s districts, the challenge is now clear: connect youth, technology, and finance in ways that make the rural economy not just survivable, but desirable.
If that connection is made, then the slogan often heard in policy circles — that the youth are the backbone of the future — will finally match the reality on the ground: young people, in boots and with tablets in hand, turning fields, dams, and orchards into smart, thriving enterprises.
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