TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Smart agriculture model implemented by the Youth in Agriculture Apex Council in collaboration with empowerment group, Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama, has started to bear fruit as smallholder farmers in the Matabeleland region are reaping rewards, Business Times can report.
Youth in Agriculture Apex Council Bulawayo ambassador Nonceba Mwedzi-Agwaniru who is also Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama coordinator told Business Times that they were also developing management information systems to record all their farming systems.
“We are currently developing management information systems to record all our farming operations and hope to develop a software tool which will improve efficiency as well as allow us to properly evaluate progress and identify areas of concern,” Mwedzi-Agwaniru said.
“The use of other equipment like sensors, drones, robots and artificial intelligence will also greatly improve production especially on the horticultural side but what have held us back are resources.”
She said the group was also planning to engage other stakeholders in the value chain on the usage of technologies as part of efforts to improve production efficiency.
The group intends to create synergies and partnerships with like-minded organisations like Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to provide strategic support, technical supplies and expertise.
Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama is a women and youth empowerment group and is engaged in the farming of Boer goats, pigs, mushrooms as well as developing projects for other horticultural products with a long-term objective of export.
“As an organisation we believe that hard work and perseverance can and will make us the bread basket of Africa once again, and as proud recipients of the Presidential Livestock Input Scheme, we stand committed to empowering the vulnerable women and youth in our communities establishing piggeries and horticultural farms at community, district and provincial level in Zimbabwe,” Mwedzi-Agwaniru said.
