Youths should embrace agric to fight unemployment-YEFI

YOUNG people should venture into agriculture so that they can contribute positively to the food basket of Zambia, Young Emerging Farmers Initiative (YEFI) project’s coordinator, Stanley Mutale has said.

Mr Mutale explained that the contribution of youth in agriculture was still low and that it needed to be boosted. He said young people should view farming as a business and not rely on white colour jobs or hand-outs as their only source of income. Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Mutale explained that young people had a huge potential to contribute to the food basket of Zambia through farming. “YEFI has partnered with some organisations like the Scottish Fund that has pledged to support horticulture among youths in to create employment and contribute to the food basket of the country,” he said. Mr Mutale said that the participation of young people in agriculture was a practical way of achieving growth for a sustainable future. “YEFI has embarked on aquaculture projects in Mazabuka, Mporokoso and Kasama that have so far attracted a total of 200 young farmers currently active on the outreach programs,” he said. He further said that with a positive mind, farming was capable of eradicating poverty in Zambia and create numerous opportunities across the industry towards achieving the 7th National Development Plan. Mr Mutale said Zambia should be a leading exporter of farm produce because it had favourable conditions for farming. He urged government to support young emerging farmers in order to promote diversification in Zambia. “Relevant authorities and other partners should tap into the youth man power by providing required resources especially land for young people to divert into fish farming, horticulture and many other and not rely on copper,” he said.