Arming the Foot Soldiers: An Investment That Is Needed to Bring Agricultural Transformation

Editorial Comment By Ilyana Sithole

The recent handover in Bulawayo, where Permanent Secretary Professor Dr. O. Jiri of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development formally handed over work suits and NetOne lines with airtime to Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) and Agricultural Extension Supervisors (AES) in the Umguza District, marks a significant milestone in agricultural development. This inputs provision of material, within an approximated allocation to 8000 extension workers nationwide, indicates a basic finding: empowering grassroots individuals is the key to realization of agricultural transformation.

Professor Jiri correctly identified the two facets of capacitation – the physical and the mental. Whereas the provision of working clothes, protective wear, tablets, information, and airtime directly caters to the physical needs, bestowing these frontline staff the very “tools of the trade,” its effect spreads far beyond mere functionality. According to Professor Jiri, the physical support creates a situation where extension officers feel valued and appreciated, thus increasing their morale and, in turn, their commitment towards the job at hand.

Agricultural extension officers are the frontline troops driving agricultural development. They are the bridge between research, policy, and farmers who till the land. Their presence and accessibility in the field are essential to building trust, conveying vital information, and delivering the hands-on assistance needed for farmers to embrace modern and sustainable practices. Branded suit wear is not just about looking the part; it’s about being seen and heard, being a visible presence with respect, so that extension officers present themselves as authority figures representing the Ministry.

But, as Professor Jiri correctly pointed out, physical capacitation is just half the picture. The constant process of “mental capacitation” – repeated training, upgrading, and passing on the right knowledge – is equally critical. Arming extension officers with improved farming techniques, market data, and communication methods ensures that they are able to advise farmers on how to improve productivity and profitability. Sponsoring tablets and data bundles is a direct investment in this cognitive capacitation, which allows access to real-time data and ease of communication.

This Umguza District program needs to become the template for a national initiative to enhance our extension services in agriculture. These frontline workers of our agriculture ministry have been under-funded for much too long, and their performance at serving our rural agricultural communities even better has thus suffered. This investment is a testament to their vital role in food security, agricultural productivity, and rural community welfare improvement.

The government guarantee, as defined by Professor Jiri, to a “continuing process” of capacitation is especially reassuring. This implies a continuing commitment to not only the provision of the initial equipment but also to ongoing support to the professional development and welfare of extension workers.

Ultimately, Zimbabwean agriculture success depends on the efficiency of its extension services. By investing in the physical and mental capacitation of these committed individuals, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is building a strong platform for a more productive, resilient, and prosperous agricultural future. The Umguza handover is not mere resource allocation; it is investment in the very people who will spearhead the revolution of our country’s agricultural face.