KUTOKA, TAKUDZWA IGNATIUS (2023) ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON YOUTHS IN AGRIBUSINESS, A CASE STUDY OF MUTOKO DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE. Masters thesis, Fakultas Peternakan dan Pertanian Universitas Diponegoro.

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Abstract

Takudzwa Ignatius Kutoka under supervision of Siwi Gayatri and Komalawati has worked the thesis entitled: “Assessing the Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Youths in Agribusiness, A Case Study of Mutoko District, Zimbabwe.”
The main objectives of the thesis were to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on sales, income, input and marketing of young individuals in agribusiness, to identify challenges facing the youths in agribusiness occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and to examine the actions taken by the Government of Zimbabwe to help the youth in agribusiness to be sustained during and after Covid-19 economic shocks. The thesis employed a mixed methodology whereby quantitative data was collected through questionnaires with young farmers and qualitative data was collected through interviews with agriculture extension workers and farmer representatives (key informants). The research was carried out in the Mutoko district, in Zimbabwe. Young farmers were sampled through cluster sampling whilst key informants were purposively sampled. The primary data was also triangulated with secondary data from journal articles, book chapters, policy briefs, and situational reports. Quantitative data was statistically analysed through Microsoft Excel whilst qualitative was analysed by the use of themes drawn from the responses. The main findings from the study were that COVID-19 had a negative impact on the sales, income, input and marketing of agribusiness. Youth farmers in the district faced challenges in their farming business induced by the closure of agro-processing plants, restricted movements, decreased labour supply and closed borders, among other shortcommings. The government reacted by cushioning the farmers by stabilizing the pricing systems, provisioning the presidential farming input scheme, local fruit plant commissioning, and partnering with NGOs for sustainable agriculture aid projects. Overall, the study has shown that agricultural output and business have suffered as a result of the lockdown measures implemented to combat the pandemic.

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