adminElita Chikwati
Herald Reporter
ARDA new acting chief executive Mr Tinotenda Mhiko believes there is a possibility of transforming the parastatal into an entity that maximises land use, produces food for the national strategic grain reserve and contribute towards the attainment of Vision 2030 of becoming a middle class economy society.
Mr Mhiko was appointed acting chief executive by the newly appointed board chairman, Mr Ivan Craig over a week ago after the retirement of Mr Willard Mbona.
Previously Mr Mhiko was a general manager for Econet Group Agritech business housed under Cassava Smartech and VAYA Technologies in charge of Zimbabwe and African Markets.
He was the project lead for fourth industrial revolution projects (4IR) in agriculture. Mr Mbona also worked in international strategic partnerships and projects around deployment of technology in crop and livestock production value chains.
He is an agricultural technologies and business development professional with a track record of devising, formulating and implementing business strategies to improve operations and system processes.
Mr Mhiko said he was given a mandate by Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka to transform the entity and ensure it contributes towards the attainment of Vision 2030 and the strategic grain reserve.
Mr Mhiko said the agriculture sector was an integral part in the achievement of Vision 2030 of transforming the country into an upper middle income economy.
He said boosting agriculture productivity at Arda was possible through the use of appropriate technological innovations and correct agronomic practices.
“It is possible to transform Arda and to maximise area under production from the current 13 000 hectares,” he said.
“Arda has vast tracts of arable and only a paltry 13 000 ha has been used. The vision is to transform and overhaul Arda into a sustainable business through the deployment of technological innovations and implementation of agronomic practices to boost production.
“When all this is said and done, Arda will become the leading player in the agriculture sector.”
Mr Mhiko said he will also work towards ensuring that Arda becomes a vehicle for ensuring that the country always have strategic food reserves and to impart best management practices and learning opportunities for A2 farmers and other smallholders.
“We want Arda to become the biggest entity to support the strategic grain reserve, that is the vision we are pursuing,” he said.
Mr Mhiko is a holder of Bachelor of Technology (Honours) Degree in Post-Harvest Technology from the Chinhoyi University of Technology.
He also holds a Master of Science Degree in Agronomy Specialising in the Management of Technologies of Production, Processing and Regulation of Agricultural Products from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia among other things.
Mr Mhiko is currently studying for a Doctor of Agricultural Technology Degree (PhD) and his research entails prediction of crop growth, development and adaptation to Abiotic and biotic environmental stresses using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.
Minister Masuka said the board should ensure ARDA adopts best farming practices with a view to increase production and productivity on all its estates.
The board should ensure ARDA transitions from administering farming to leading by farming.
Dr Masuka said other urgent issues were transforming rural development in line with Vison 2030, establishing transformative linkages for sustainable funding and marketing of commodities produced on ARDA estates and irrigation schemes.
Online Reporter