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Theseus Shambare
THE first AI-powered silo depot in the country is set to be commissioned in Kwekwe this month, marking a significant step towards strengthening national food security.
This facility is part of a nationwide modernisation effort, integrating cutting-edge artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to revolutionise the country’s grain storage infrastructure.
The state-of-the-art facility, which is part of a US$500 million-plus Government project, is being implemented across 21 Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots nationwide.
The development is intended to add another 784 000 tonnes to the current strategic grain reserve capacity of 650 000 tonnes to bring the total to around 1,4 million tonnes.
Most of the grain is kept under less secure tarpaulin shelters.
Work on Mutare depot is now at 78 percent, while other GMB depots in Mhangura, Mvurwi, Mutare, Rutenga, Timber Mills and Lupane are at various stages.
The launch comes at an ideal time when the country is projected to harvest more than 3,5 million tonnes of cereals during the 2024/2025 summer cropping season.
Further, the winter wheat season is expected to achieve over 600 000 tonnes, surpassing the record 560 000 tonnes realised last season.
In an interview, chief director of agricultural engineering, mechanisation and farm infrastructure development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Engineer Edwin Zimunga said the project is progressing well.
“The modernisation and expansion of the National Strategic Grain Reserve and storage silos has progressed very well over the past few months,” he said.
“What we are currently seeing and what we have seen is a 90 percent completion of the Kwekwe depot, which is scheduled to be officially launched before the end of April with the first intake of the 2024 summer crops.”
The Kwekwe depot, he said, will serve as a model for subsequent installations, with Mutare, Mvurwi and Mhangura depots following suit.
“Every month thereafter, we expect to have more sites coming on board, a total number of 14 in principle, where the Kwekwe depot shall be followed by the Mutare depot, followed by the Mvurwi depot. We shall also have the Mangura depot,” he said.
While Kwekwe is leading the way other depots, he said are also progressing steadily.
“We do have Mutare hovering around 78 percent and the other depots at various levels and stages of completion,” he said.
According to a recent Agriculture and Rural Advisory Services (ARDAS) report, the Mhangura depot was at 45 percent, Mvurwi at 27 percent.
Rutenga, Timber Mills and Lupane depots were at 19 percent, 17 percent and 10 percent complete, respectively.
The integration of IoT sensors, Eng Zimunga said, will enable real-time monitoring of critical parameters, including load, fleet movement, offloading processes and energy consumption.
“AI-driven systems will optimise storage and load management, automate building functions and implement quality control to detect grain spoilage,” he said.
“Green depot technologies will further enhance efficiency through AI-driven energy management and smart energy metering.”
Such modernisation, he said, will be done at all the existing depots.
“The real target is to get to 1,5 million tonnes of national strategic grain reserve,” he said.
“The good thing is that once you have got a 1,5-million tonne buffer storage, it should be in a position to take us to a period of three years, where we would then be making sure that the vulnerable population or the whole population of Zimbabwe is food-secure for such a period.”
Presently, GMB’s total holding capacity stands at just over 2 million tonnes, out of which only 650 000 tonnes of grain can be stored.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026.
Online Reporter