Interview With Masimba Maimba , Young Zimbabwean Commercial Farmer

Masimba Maimba is a rare breed who not only pursued an Agricultural qualification post High School but chose to fully invest himself in facilitating better food security in Zimbabwe. As a young commercial farmer, Masimba has over the past 10 years grown crops such as tobacco, wheat, potatoes, maize and more! Below the commercial farmer took the time to share his insights on agriculture and why it’s important for the African youth to invest in agriculture and the role government can play to facilitate a more conducive environment for commercial farmers. 

Please tell us about you farm, when did you start and what  has been some of your milestones?

Our farm is situated 46km East of Macheke farming center. We have approximately 18ha of arable land. I started farming in 2011 and the biggest milestone was turning this piece of land into a professional and profitable land.

As someone who ventured into farming in your early 20s what inspired you to pursue farming, a sector which has been widely dominated by older people in many countries.

The greatest inspiration for me was the reason why the former  white commercial farms refusal to let go of the land. This made me more inquistive and have the zeal to venture into a widely dominated by older people. Older to me meant mature and bigger brains so this was a challenge.

How useful was your agricultural degree in the day to day runnings of your farm 

My degree became very useful and added a lot of value in my day to day running of my farm.

What crops do you grow ?

I grow tobacco ,maize, wheat, potatoes and tomatoes.

What has been some of the challenges you have faced as a young farmer ?

Farming is capital intensive and requires a lot of capital injection and as a young farmer this has been biggest challenge.

Do you have your sights on export ?

My wish is to venture in the Tobacco export market one day . Moving away from growing of the leaf into buying and exporting of the processed leaf.

What interventions would you like to see from government to create an enabling environment for young farmers?

The government should also create an enabling environment for the young farmer through access of more cheaper loans and the issue of collateral security.

What are some of the new  farming techniques you are currently most excited about ?

Farming has become so dynamic and modern in terms of irrigation and ploughing. The use of center pivots and chisel ploughs, it’s amazing

Why is it important for more young people like yourself to peruse agriculture ?

It is very important for young people to venture and persue agriculture because they bring fresh and exciting innovations through their energy. More so farming is a highly paying job than any other business because people need to eat everyday. People need to enjoy money whilst they still have the energy.

How can people reach you.?

People can WhatsApp me  or call on 00263712242584 or email me on [email protected]