adminagricultural operations.
This was revealed at a seminar hosted by the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre last week.
At the seminar, stakeholders noted that manual operations such as seeding, weeding, harvesting and winnowing was time consuming and labourious compared to the use of machinery.
Sirdc chief executive Dr Robson Mafoti said the seminar was a follow-up to a process which started in 2010.
“Koreans invited African countries to submit proposals for rural development projects and we decided to choose mechanisation with specific reference to soyabean production,” he said.
Dr Mafoti said the mechanisation of soyabean production was being spearheaded by Sirdc with assistance from experts from other local scientific institutions.
“The funds will be used to buy necessary equipment in the next few months,” he said.
Dr Mafoti said the project would see farmers getting training and visiting the project site to have hands-on understanding of the concept.
He added that some Zimbabwean engineers have visited Korea for training on the use of machinery in soyabean production.
“We are going to manufacture the equipment in Zimbabwe and will be focusing more on small-scale producers,” he said.
The seminar also noted that due to the land reform programme most small-scale soyabean producers had small pieces of land and required suitable equipment for their farms.
Korean director of the agricultural engineering department Dr Kyu Hong Choi said his department was willing to work with Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the seminar, Soyabean Promotion Taskforce chair Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki said soyabean crop was popular because it generatedcash, could be used for food in addition to being a perfect rotation crop.
He said some farmers were discouraged from growing the crop as they did not have equipment for harvesting and ended up incurring losses during harvesting.
Prof Mpepereki proposed the formation of a Soyabean Research and Development Institute.
“The institute will be the regional training centre for soyabean technology, co-ordinate research and development, will be a database on soyabean and used for germplasm collection among other things,” he said.
Soyeabean production has been on the decrease due to inaccessible markets, inadequate knowledge and lack of funding.
Online Reporter