The Sunday News
Nqobizitha Dhlamini
CONTRARY to the popular notion that youths are the leaders of tomorrow, many young people are taking the bull by its horns and proving that you don’t have to wait for the next day to be a leader.
The nation has seen a lot of leaders and young entrepreneurs in different disciplines that were traditionally for the mature citizens.
One young person who has stood out from his peers and has been a cut above the rest is the founder and the chief executive officer of Emerald Agribusiness Consultancy, Mr Tapuwa Justice Mashangwa.
The young man, after graduating with a BSc in Agricultural Engineering in Cuba, came back home to put what he learnt into practice.
The company, which was founded earlier this year, focuses on using technology to improve farming methods as a way of boosting agriculture in the country.
Mr Mashangwa said their objective was to promote the creation of an environmentally conscious and technologically dynamic global agricultural system through negotiation, networking and leveraging with the relevant authorities and stakeholders.
“We are a proactive consultancy that acknowledges the importance of combining agricultural skills and knowledge, IT and business management. Some farmers have land but they don’t know the most suitable crops to grow in the different types of soils. Hence since we have the expertise in agriculture and technology, we assist them by providing information, advice and technical support through our qualified professional personnel to ensure optimum results and efficient feedback,” he said.
Mr Mashangwa said agriculture was a profitable business as long as it was managed well.
“If the farmers in the rural areas could study their areas, climate conditions, type of soils, then they could know the best crop to grow profitably.
Therefore as a consultancy, we help farmers acquire that knowledge by going to the field and monitoring the growth of the crop up to harvesting.”
The company is working in partnership with many other different organisations to ensure that farmers realise optimum yields.
“We help the client find a market for their products as we are in partnerships with organisations like eMKambo which have been in the farming business for long.
We are also working with Forster Irrigation, Smart Development Works (SNV), Grant Thornton, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) and Young Farmers Association (YFAZ),” he said.
For a company that was launched this year, they have already set sights on greater things in terms of the farming business.
They are also negotiating with international partners to spread into the region.
“We have been engaging with the Ministry of Industry Trade and SME Development in Namibia as we have plans to venture into the farming sector of that country,” he said.
Mr Mashangwa will also be travelling to Cuba in a few months to partner with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture in conjunction with the tertiary institutions to promote capacity building and cultural exchange as well as establishing an agricultural trade platform for mainly the youth and the women.
“We intend to promote innovation development and agricultural practices between the two countries.
I attained my BSc in Agricultural Engineering in Cuba under the late Dr Jevan Maseko (Retired Major General) and Mr John Mvundura hence I have ties with that country.
Those men taught me a lot in terms of agriculture and being innovative hence I intend to put the lessons to good use,” he said.
Besides being in partnership with the YFAZ, Mr Mashangwa is also a member of the organisation and together they have a number of projects that they are working on.
They have since acquired a farm in Inyathi which is being used to conduct a number of agricultural projects.
Mr Gugulethu Maseko, the secretary of the YFAZ, said they intended to show the nation that Matabeleland has hardworking people.
“Youths in Matabeleland are taking agriculture to the next level and we intend to lead by example nationally.
We have been engaging in pen fattening projects and farming cash crops and vegetables.
There are also greenhouses that we have set up and we intend to continue the legacy that was left behind by our fathers.
We are proud of the initiative that Tapuwa started and I think there is hope for the youths if more people put their education to good use like this other than complaining of unemployment,” he said.
Mr Maseko said already Emerald Agribusiness Consultancy had created employment for some graduates who were unemployed.
EAC specialises in soil testing, drainage/irrigation, waste management, weed control and commodity marketing.
They exhibited at ZITF this year.
