In a recent study by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) and the Financial Gazette, findings revealed that the country’s average maize production was 0.64mt/ha, whilst South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya produce an average 5.3mt/ha, 2.8mt/ha, 1,67mt/ha and 1.66mt/ha respectively. Whist the survey focused mainly on maize, it equally applies to other crops as well. The challenge in Zimbabwe is that smallholder farmers, the 1.8 million households, that constitute the majority of farmers in the country, produce only about 0.54mt/ha whilst commercial farmers contribute 3.82mt/ha, hence the low average yield and low production (too much idle land). These issues require urgent and sustainable interventions that can only be brought about by the introduction of technologies that address the root cause of these problems.
Agile innovation directed at national goal-oriented outcomes is required, with government being an active player and catalyst for the change. This could take various dimensions, from innovation hubs at universities and research and development institutions, to providing an incentive framework for private actors to invest in innovative products and services, while adopting and adapting and then accelerating and accentuating innovation spread on farms from block-chain financing, crowd-farming, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, satellite and drone digital analytics and other internet-based services. This should be value-chain based, for example initially targeting the cereals, oils seeds, tea, macadamia, horticulture and tobacco value chains for crops, beef and dairy, and livestock. Innovation is required to reduce costs, increase efficiency and enhance national productivity. It is in recognition of this fact that the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) have combined forces to propose the hosting a Hackathon competition in July 2019 as part of the ‘Agriculture Innovation for Improved Productivity Conference’, which is aimed at finding solutions to increase productivity and yields in the agriculture sector. The Hackathon will run under the hashtag ‘# Hack against low agricultural yields’.
hackagric.wordpress.com 