Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare in MHONDORO-NGEZI
MORE than 1 000 smallholder farmers in Mhondoro-Ngezi District have benefited from a digital agriculture programme being implemented under the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI), spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Government, in a drive aimed at modernising rural farming, closing the digital divide and improving market access for communal producers.
The initiative, titled, “Fostering Digital Villages Through Innovative Advisory and Profitable Market Services in Africa (FDiVi)”, is part of a broader effort to transform rural communities into digitally enabled agricultural hubs linked to information, advisory services and markets.
The programme is helping smallholder farmers transition from traditional production systems to technology-driven agriculture, connecting them in real time to input suppliers, financial service providers and technical expertise.
Food Security Monitoring and Digital Agriculture Specialist under the FDiVi programme, Mr Dowsen Sango, praised farmers for embracing the initiative and urged them to cascade the knowledge to other communities.
“The knowledge you got is not yours alone. Let us learn to share. We taught you so that you teach others,” he said.
“We want to see your villages transforming for the better. We do not give you donations; we empower you with knowledge such that you become self-sustaining through your God-given resources.”
Mhondoro-Ngezi District Agricultural Business Advisory Officer (ABAO), Ms Nola Marumbwa, said the programme is designed to ensure that no farmer is left behind in the digital transformation of agriculture, regardless of education level or location.
She said the introduction of digital gadgets and basic digital literacy training is enabling farmers to access agricultural information, communicate more efficiently and connect with markets and service providers.
“The use of digital gadgets is a way of reducing the digital divide amongst our communal communities and smallholder farmers. FAO has introduced smart agriculture systems and digital tools so that farmers can produce using current technologies and skills,” Ms Marumbwa said.
Farmers are being trained to use mobile phones and online platforms such as Facebook, email and WhatsApp groups to share knowledge, advertise their produce and access technical guidance.
“Farmers are now being equipped to open Facebook pages, create email accounts and join WhatsApp groups,” she said.
Through these platforms, they can network with other producers, agro-companies and service providers, including those offering technical support such as drone services and climate-smart agriculture solutions.”
Ms Marumbwa said the programme is also introducing farmers to emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, which can assist in diagnosing crop challenges and improving production decisions.
Beyond digital literacy, the initiative is promoting organised group farming models to improve efficiency and profitability among smallholder farmers.
In Ward 15, Village 8, a group of seven farmers engaged in horticultural production is already demonstrating the benefits of collective production, she said.
“These farmers are encouraged to work in groups so they can buy inputs in bulk at lower prices, reduce transport costs, and collectively meet market demand,” Ms Marumbwa said.
She said group farming allows farmers to aggregate produce, making it easier to secure larger markets while reducing logistical costs through shared transport arrangements.
“This model ensures that farmers can approach markets as a unit, meet required volumes, and reduce costs associated with individual marketing and transportation,” she said.
Ms Marumbwa said the approach is aligned with the Government’s village business unit model, which promotes treating agriculture as a commercial enterprise rather than subsistence farming.
“We are encouraging farmers to treat farming as a business. Every production cycle should be planned with clear cost calculations, including inputs, labour, transport and expected returns,” she said.
She said farmers are also being trained to keep basic records of production costs and market earnings to improve decision-making and profitability.
The programme has introduced “digital champions” drawn from agro-tech partners and lead farmers, who are trained to support others in their communities, ensuring knowledge is continuously shared at the grassroots level.
Officials said the initiative is part of a broader effort to modernise agriculture, strengthen resilience to climate change and improve rural livelihoods through technology-driven innovation.
As digital tools continue to spread across rural farming communities, Mhondoro-Ngezi is emerging as one of the districts where smallholder farmers are increasingly integrating technology, collaboration and business thinking into agricultural production.
