The Sunday Mail
Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
Youth Buzz
The phenomenal growth in agriculture is luring young professionals into the sector.
Marshall Jonathan Mutauri (28), a Glendale-based farmer, is grateful for having been sacked from his job as an aircraft co-ordinator.
It marked a turning point for him after he decided to try his hand at farming.
Mutauri, together with his family, are producing soyabean, sorghum and sunflower on their 106-hectare farm.
Presently, they are making use of around 80 hectares.
Had Mutauri been told 10 years ago that he would one day become a full-time farmer, he would have scoffed at the idea.
Back then, he dreamt of getting a white-collar job.
He later qualified as an aeronautical engineer in 2017. He graduated at Shenyang Aerospace University in China.
He went on an aggressive job-hunting spree as soon as he returned home after graduation.
After applying for numerous vacancies, he failed to land the job of his choice due to lack of experience.
Lady luck, however, smiled on him when he was called in for a job placement as an aircraft co-ordinator in Victoria Falls.
However, five months later, he was fired after company auditors discovered he lacked the requisite experience for the post.
Mutauri’s life seemed to have been collapsing around him. It was then that he thought of rekindling his love for working the soil.
During his days in high school, he used to help out with menial tasks on the family farm and would join the technical team in preparing land, planting and spraying crops.
He realised there were plenty of opportunities back on the farm and that he could harness the skills he had acquired as a teenager to make a living.
“After I was fired, it dawned on me that there was something I was running away from, which was hidden in me — farming,” he said.
“That is when I decided to pack my bags and return home. So, from 2018, I started farming full-time with my mother, along with some of my siblings.”
His skills as an aeronautical engineer have come in handy on the farm.
He can service vehicles and tractors.
“Farming is actually a lucrative business since it is about feeding the nation,” said Mutauri.
“Whether it is today or 10 years later, food must always come from the farmer.
“There is nobody who can drive the economy better than a farmer, a miner and an entrepreneur.
“So, I urge young people to join this growing sector.
“Through farming, you connect with other countries through your produce; for instance, some are exporting avocados to countries like Australia and Germany.”
This summer, Mutauri plans to increase land under maize production.
He, however, faces irrigation challenges due to lack of equipment.
While his venture is rain-fed, he harvested 30 tonnes of soyabean and 50 tonnes of maize last season.
He is also a beneficiary of Government’s National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme, or Command Agriculture, which provides affordable inputs.
He plans to install irrigation equipment and mechanise his entire operation.
To date, the family has managed to purchase a vehicle, a tractor and a planter.
“We also want to plant potatoes and wheat,” he added.
Mutauri said youths aspiring to become farmers need to know the type of crops suitable for the land they intend to use to realise good yields.
He urged aspiring farmers to secure markets and warned against poor planning. He said agricultural extension workers are a key resource for any successful farmer.
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