Chronicle Editor
Stephen Mpofu
A REPORT on local radio said a few days ago that 9 million Zimbabweans were food-insecure and that the Government has appealed for food aid from the international community to save lives during the current El Nino-induced drought.
A fortnight ago a delegation from the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe was reportedly in Brazil negotiating the importation of yellow and white maize. But whatever they bring home is unlikely to fully mitigate the hunger that reportedly affects 9 million Zimbabweans as a result of the El Nino-induced drought that decimated food crops, particularly maize which now many Zimbabweans grow for its better monetary reward at the marketplace but is highly vulnerable to drought unlike drought resistant sorghum, pearl millet and rapoko which sustained Zimbabweans and other Africans for many, many years before Portuguese sailors searching for a sea route to India and the Far East introduced from South America to the African continent.
The food scarcity haunting millions of households should be regarded by Zimbabweans as a clarion call for a return to drought resistant small grains or else whatever monetary reserves the country has might be spent largely on food imports to the detriment of economic and social development back home.
When that happens power-hungry politicians in opposition to the Government might stir up turmoil by claiming that they and not those in power have a better destiny for the country and the people of Zimbabwe and should therefore be given preference to rule the motherland.
In the circumstances this communicologist strongly believes that the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo boasts three national assets with the capacity to boost the Government’s national irrigation programme shortage of water for crops and domestic consumption.
The three first year students — Ebenezer Chisare, Tatenda Murwira and Tanaka Gudza — have achieved global recognition for developing an innovative smart agriculture irrigation system which aims to promote precision agriculture, leverages advanced sensor technologies to optimise the irrigation process by so doing significantly reducing water costs while ensuring plants receive the optimal amount of water needed for their growth.
The trio participated in the global Innovation Seed Fund competition which was held at the University of Oxford and came out tops.
The students’ smart agriculture irrigation system confirms the very, very high functional literacy rating that our education system boasts on the African continent and stands to rescue many other African nations from hunger due to crop failures in droughts caused by global warming.
Back here at home there should now be no excuse for people going hungry due to crop failures in droughts with the new smart agriculture irrigation system right before everyone’s eyes.
In conclusion the three Nust students have with their smart agriculture irrigation system set an example for, and a challenge to, other students at universities across our country to make their educational literacy functional by producing programmes that better the lives of Zimbabweans as well as other people on the African continent if not also in the global village.
Obviously after the smart agriculture irrigation system, Zimbabweans look forward to more innovative, functional literacy programmes by Tanaka Gudza, Tatenda Murwira and Ebenezer Chisare.
Once more, kudos to the trio.
Online Reporter