Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
IN a milestone advancement toward the Government’s digitalisation and modernisation of agriculture, 20 engineers from the Department of Engineering, Mechanisation, and Farm Infrastructure Development have graduated with Drone and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle licenses from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.
The department’s chief director, Engineer Samuel Edwin Zimhunga, said the achievement aligns with the Government’s agricultural transformation agenda, which integrates aero mechanization to enhance production and productivity.
He noted that drones are set to revolutionise farming practices by facilitating precision agriculture with capabilities such as feed surveillance, mapping, and chemigation.
By replacing traditional tractors for certain operations, Eng Zimhunga drones can drastically reduce the time required for tasks like spraying fields, broadcasting seeds, enabling precision farming through various applications such as feed surveillance, mapping, and even broadcasting small grains like sorghum and millet.
This initiative marks a pioneering move into the digital era for agriculture, aiming to enhance efficiency, production, and competitiveness within the sector.
“We have just witnessed in this third week of January 2025 the graduation of 20 engineers in the ministry with drone and unmanned aerial vehicle licenses.
“Why we are doing this is because it is one of our key pillars that we are driving in the transformation of agriculture where we are adopting aerial mechanisation as a strategy to improve production and productivity within the agricultural space,” said Eng Zimhunga.
“Drones are the future of agriculture where we are using them for precision agriculture and other activities like fee surveillance and mapping.
“Recently, we have seen drones used to broadcast seeds for those crops like sorghum, and millet in the planting era.”
He said the ministry was working on the automation of agriculture space and that drones have come in handy to replace traditional mechanised tractors to do certain farm operations.
One of the graduates, Eng Arnold Mahonde, said drones are a game changer.
“This training was done to make sure that we get full understanding and knowledge on the technology before we roll it out to our farmers,” he said.
“Agriculture is an ever-evolving landscape so it is not surprising that a remarkable technological advancement has taken root — the use of drones.”
The unmanned aerial wonders have ushered in a new era of possibilities, propelling the agricultural sector to greater heights with their versatile applications.
From farm pegging to pest control, drones have swiftly become an indispensable tool in the hands of farmers nationwide.
With the ability to access once-inaccessible areas, they have dramatically improved efficiency and productivity on farms, revolutionising traditional farming practices.
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