A
quiet
agricultural
revolution
is
reshaping
rural
Zimbabwe
where
solar-powered
irrigation,
AI-driven
crop
monitoring
and
mobile
market
platforms
are
helping
thousands
of
smallholder
farmers
grow
food
year-round,
boost
yields
and
access
markets.
Once
limited
by
erratic
rainfall
and
drying
dams,
farmers
in
semi-arid
regions
of
the
southern
African
country
are
now
cultivating
crops
throughout
the
year
using
solar
irrigation
systems
and
sand-abstraction
technology
that
taps
underground
water.
“We
used
to
watch
our
dam
dry
up
every
year.
Now,
we
grow
crops
all
year
round,”
said
David
Ndou,
chairperson
of
the
Sivuli
irrigation
scheme.
Supported
by
the
European
Union
and
implemented
with
technical
assistance
from
the
Food
and
Agriculture
Organisation
(FAO),
these
innovations
are
improving
productivity
and
climate
resilience.
Beyond
water
access,
FAO’s
Digital
Villages
initiative
is
equipping
over
5,000
farmers
–
especially
women
–
with
digital
identities,
geo-referenced
advisory
services
and
AI-enabled
crop
insights.
Mobile
platforms
are
connecting
producers
to
markets
while
digital
literacy
is
driving
smartphone
adoption
among
women
farmers.
FAO’s
Earth
Observation
for
Agricultural
Statistics
(EOSTAT)
is
also
enhancing
Zimbabwe’s
capacity
to
monitor
crop
performance
and
climate
risks.
Using
satellite
data,
the
system
delivers
over
80
percent
accuracy
in
yield
estimates
and
supports
early
warning
for
droughts
and
floods.
“EOSTAT
is
modernising
agricultural
monitoring
through
digital
innovation
and
driving
Zimbabwe’s
shift
toward
data-driven,
climate-smart
agriculture,”
Ministry
of
Agriculture’s
early
warning
specialist
Hillary
Mugiyo
said
on
Saturday.
National
institutions,
including
the
Zimbabwe
Space
Agency
and
the
National
University
of
Science
and
Technology,
are
receiving
training
in
advanced
geospatial
analysis.
To
modernise
agricultural
finance,
FAO,
the
African
Development
Bank
and
the
AFC
Land
Bank
have
introduced
digital
loan
management
systems.
Farmers
now
access
inputs
via
e-vouchers,
with
real-time
tracking
of
disbursements
and
repayments.
This
has
supported
the
cultivation
of
17,000
hectares
of
winter
wheat
between
May
and
August
and
72,000
hectares
of
maize
under
Zimbabwe’s
Seed
Revolving
Fund.
In
parallel,
FAO
is
strengthening
food
safety
systems
with
support
from
the
Fleming
Fund
and
the
Antimicrobial
Resistance
(AMR)
Multi-Partner
Trust
Fund.
Fourteen
sentinel
laboratories
have
been
rehabilitated
to
monitor
AMR
while
farmers
are
adopting
better
hygiene
and
animal
care
practices
to
reduce
antibiotic
use.
Zimbabwe’s
integrated
approach
–
combining
indigenous
knowledge
with
modern
technology
–
is
offering
a
replicable
model
for
climate-smart,
digitally-enabled
agriculture
across
Africa.
“In
Zimbabwe,
we
are
showcasing
solutions
that
work,
partnerships
that
deliver,
and
ideas
that
grow
into
meaningful
change,”
Assistant
FAO
Representative
(Programmes),
Tendai
Munyokoveri,
said.
Source:
Tech-driven
farming
revolution
transforms
rural
Zimbabwe
|
APAnews
–
African
Press
Agency