By Delicious Mathuthu
Gweru- Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development on Friday (17/01/25) distributed 973 high-end tablets to Midlands Province agriculture Extension Officers, Veterinary Services personnel, Irrigation Officers and Dip Attendants in Gweru.
The tablets are part of the 6000 recently donated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, valued at approximately US$3.6 million, mostly targeting extension officers in the country’s 60 districts.
Through the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS), the Ministry has distributed the tablets to Matabeleland North and South Provinces, Manicaland, Masvingo, Mashonaland East and West, Mashonaland Central, as well as the Midlands Province on Friday.
Speaking after the Midlands tablet distribution launch, Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri emphasized the crucial role ARDAS officers play in advising farmers and implementing government programmes.
“These officers are the foot soldiers of our agricultural sector, and it is essential that they receive proper information to give to farmers and also take information from farmers to policymakers,” he said.
“The tablets will enable our officers to collect and send information to the Head Office in real-time, increasing work efficiency and reducing abuse of inputs,” Professor Jiri said.
He also highlighted that this initiative is part of the government’s efforts to modernize agriculture through digitalization.
“In the near future, we will also see our officers being given motorcycles to increase their mobility, as well as GPS (Global Positioning System)-enabled devices to locate farmers and fields.
“We are committed to supporting our farmers and ensuring that they have the tools and resources they need to succeed,” Professor Jiri stated.
The Midlands province was the last to receive the tablets, with a few remaining districts to be covered in the already covered Provinces.
One of the Extension Officers benefiting from the programme, Mrs Fortune Khulumo, thanked the President saying the devices come at an opportune time as government is implementing the Crops, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment (CLAFA) programme.
“I want to thank His Excellency Cde E.D. Mnangagwa on what he has done for us through his Permanent Secretary, and hope his attention stays on us because we, as foot soldiers, are assisting in ensuring food security everywhere, to everyone.
“We will start using the tablets effectively, and we are very happy because we are getting these devices at a time when we are implementing CLAFA, doing data collection,” she said.
CLAFA, a programme aimed at assessing the country’s agricultural sector focusing on crops, livestock and fisheries, was established in 2022 to implement measures that promote food security and sustainable agricultural practices in Zimbabwe.
Some of the key initiatives under the CLAFA programme are the Rapid Village-based Food Assessment, climate change impact assessment on agriculture, and promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices.
Mrs Khulumo said work will now be easier with the tablets, having previously been given motorcycles, fuel availability now the only challenge.
“We were given motorcycles but we are asking if we can get fuel so that our work becomes a lot easier in terms of mobility and efficiency so that we complete our tasks within given timelines.
“As we work, we are given timelines so we need to meet the deadlines,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mabasa Mutero, an Extension Officer from Kwekwe District said the tablets will improve farming through quality data collection and faster information processing.
“This will help uplift our work and farming generally, ensuring food security in the country.
“The information which we had was not that qualitative, moreover, the movement of that information was slow to reach where it’s supposed to be processed.
“But now it will take just a few seconds and the information is at the Head Office,” he said.
The tablet distribution initiative by government aims to enhance digital capabilities within the agricultural sector, with a data driven agriculture economy.
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