Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
GOVERNMENT, the private sector and development partners have upped the ante in transforming the agriculture sector to fight climate change and increase yields by investing in digital devices to lower production costs.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, Professor Obert Jiri posted on his X handle that “Zimbabwe was investing in digital agriculture to empower farmers and improve decision making from plot to policy.”
Digital agriculture or precision farming, sometimes known as smart farming, involves using digital technologies like drones, radars, global positioning system (GPS) as well as artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency and sustainability.
The Government is leading in front in the digitisation of all agricultural extension officers in the country with information and communication technology (ICT) tablets.
Speaking recently at the handover of the tablets in Marondera, Prof Jiri said agricultural extension officers were the bridge between agriculture education, extension and research.
Government has also acquired drones to use in control of migratory pests and control of African Army Worm (AAW) outbreak reports in Mashonaland East, Matabeleland North, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central provinces affecting maize and sorghum.
The Department of Migratory Pests and Biosecurity Control made use of drone and aerial technology in the form of calibrating planes alongside motorised backpacks on mounted vehicles, traps and nets as part of an elaborate plan to bust quelea birds.
The country’s booming blueberry sector makes use of precision agriculture techniques like computer-controlled drip irrigation, high-density planting and renewable energy solutions for irrigation and cold storage to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.
Drip tech founder and managing director, Mr Robert Bob Henson of Ivanhoe Farm in Goromonzi who is into blueberry production said his company, Palmlife had installed an innovative computer-controlled solar powered pump house system that supply all the water, chemicals, fertiliser at the right time and quantity to the blueberry fields.
Palmlife has also installed frost fans to deal with frost as well as making the berries stay a little bit drier.
Another local company, Afrostain Farmtech has invested in drone technology to promote precision farming.
“Our services mainly cover land use aspects, planning and management. They also cover farming and insurance and financiers who have interest in farming projects for reliable data,” said Afrostain Farmtech sales agronomist, Mrs Tatenda Zhakata.
She said the use of drone technology comes with numerous benefits as the model enhances the provision of critical data for the farming value chain.
These include stand account and population analysis, crop and soil nutrition analysis, flowering analysis, risk and loss management, yield estimation and drought analysis, crop protection, pest and disease detection as well as underground water penetration and zone mapping.
