PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged people to be wary of unscrupulous land barons who dupe unsuspecting members of the public parceling them State land saying only government has the mandate to resettle people.
Speaking during the inaugural National Young Champion Farmer awards held at Botanical Gardens in Harare,last week, President Mnangagwa said people should not be hoodwinked by these land barons to buy state land.
The awards were organised by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement to honour young farmers who contributed to food security.
Midlands based farmer John Muchenje emrged the overall winner.
Mnangagwa said it was scandalous for land barons to claim that they own agricultural land because it is state land and it is up to government to authorise who to resettle on it.
“There are land barons who will claim that they own agricultural land out there, so do not be fooled by such barons because every agricultural land is state land and I’m the Head of State.
“So it is me who knows who to settle on that state land not those barons,”he said.
Turning to the youths participation in agriculture, Mnangagwa said they are the future of the country hence they should be given a platform to contribute to the growth of the country’s economy.
“While agriculture is the backbone of our economy, youths are the future.
“Their collective achievement undoubtedly contributes towards the eradication of hunger and poverty in our communities and enhances the empowerment of our young people.
“The increased participation of young people in the agriculture sector is a joyous development which reinforces the irrefutable importance and success of our Land Reform Programme,” he said.
Mnangagwa said that the formation of National Young Famer Associations will go a long way in improving food security and returning the country to bread basket status.
He urged the youths in agriculture to be innovative and use technology to enhance their production.
“My government welcomes the formalisation of the National Young Farmer Associations as an important forum to help in the transformation of our agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihood.
” I’m optimistic that this initiative will help mobilise the immeasurable potential of our young people in farming, for the attainment of Sustainable (Millennium) Devolopment Goal 2 which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition while promoting sustainable agriculture by 2030.
“Young people are, thus, challenged to be innovative and adopt smart agriculture practices, solutions and contemporary conservation farming techniques to improve productivity,” he said.
Mnangagwa said farmers should add value to their products.
“I challenge the youth to tap into farming expertise from our partners and other agricultural institutions to enhance their farming competencies.
“In light of our ever changing weather, rainfall patterns and technological advancements such as collaborative work will result in production efficiencies and improved yields.
Meanwhile, the national winner Muchenje urged youths to venture into farming and waxed lyrical over Mnangagwa’s support.
