Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
ABOUT 800 extension officers based in Matabeleland North and South Provinces have received digital tablets from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, a development that will ensure improved efficiency in reporting and provision of accurate agricultural data.
The move is part of the Government’s programme of capacitating extension workers for improved performance in the agricultural sector, which is expected to register a 9,7 percent growth rate this year.
In an interview, after handing over tablets to Matabeleland North extension officers in Bulawayo on Thursday, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said they were going to capacitate extension officers in all provinces.
“Our extension officers are around 6 000 countrywide including the veterinary officers, so all of them will get. As for this round, we started with Matabeleland South Province on Wednesday where we gave about 400.
“In Matabeleland North Province for all the districts we have given every extension officer including the livestock and meat graders. So, I’m told there are 384 for Matabeleland North alone. We will continue to give every extension officer in all the provinces,” he said.
He said as they continue with the thrust to digitalise the agriculture sector, the tablets were capacitating extension officers that have undergone various trainings to ensure there will be efficiency in reporting and accuracy in data collection.
The Permanent Secretary said the tablets were of high spec to ensure that they are able to handle the massive data they generate and goes around in the agriculture sector.
“This is the essence of the digitalisation agenda and the other thing the extension officers can utilise the tablets for inputs distribution. Gone are the days when we use a lot of paperwork to have people sign for their inputs under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme. We now expect the use of these gadgets and software that we have developed to be used to issue inputs and this will reduce abuse and stealing. These tablets will really be put to good use as we go forward,” he said.
The capacitation of extension workers has been identified as crucial in ensuring successful implementation of the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme this farming season and beyond.
Preparations for the summer cropping season are at an advanced stage and Government has set up localised committees to supervise the accelerated distribution of farm inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme.
The exercise is expected to be concluded by the end of this month to ensure smooth and successful cropping.
To date about 35 000 metric tonnes have been moved from suppliers in terms of fertilisers and just over 5 000 seeds moved into Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots.
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