Jozef Behr Says “Zimbabwean Tobacco Farming Is Now in the Hand of Youths”- How?

The new generation of Zimbabwe is now turning their heads to farming and contributing to the economy. I was really surprised to know that today’s youths are involved in evolving farming work through new and emerging technologies. When I was in Zimbabwe on a vacation with my family, I visit a farm near my staying home. Where I met a Farmer namely Jozef Behr and his son John Behr. They have a huge land for farming in Zimbabwe where they used to grow tobacco as Tobacco faming in Zimbabwe is in the oldest farming in the world. “We have been cultivating tobacco for 100 years and every generation passed this to its next generation and it goes on.” say Jozef Clifford Behr of Zimbabwe. Tobacco farming ranked sixth in the world and top in Africa.  

  

Mr. Jozef Clifford Behr let us roam their field full of tobacco crops, and tell us many interesting facts about their family and their farming and how his son John is going to help him in farming in the coming days. He said that as Zimbabwe’s weather is always sunny and full of heat and Tobacco is the kind of crop that only need dry and warm climate to grow. That's why they started tobacco cultivation, most probably in the month of August but the preparation of seedling is started from January.    

Further adding to his conversation, Jozef Behr said that now he is now his old age and he has not enough energy to carry out profit from farming that’s why his son step forward to support him in farming. There’s one more reason for John to join his father in farming is lack of job opportunity. However, this generation is trained as accountants and other official work but the lack of job opportunity makes them nothing but unemployed. Unfortunately, there’s one handful of vacancies that is not enough for the whole generation. This sustainable farming approach is catching on with Zimbabwean youngsters. 

Apart from tobacco farming Jozef Behr and his son John Behr are planning to plant mango trees that are in hot demand abroad. They have small land besides the tobacco farming land and now they want to use each hectare of furthest potential. It is John the son of Jozef Behr behind the Mango tree plantation idea as he knows the modern techniques of farming and how to make the most of it in low resources.  

After meeting with Mr. Jozef and his son John, me and my family got to know many things about farming and it challenges that a farmer faces in their lifetime. Despite these hurdles and challenges Zimbabwean youth famers believes that they are progressing in farming and heading towards a good future.