Extension officers get 1 600 internet-enabled tablets

IN a bid to accelerate the digital transformation of Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, the Government has equipped over 1 600 ward-based extension officers with internet-connected tablets.

The new gadgets go beyond the capabilities of devices issued last year, which were primarily limited to accessing Government training materials.

The tablets help officers to act as knowledge hubs and agriculture business advisers who provide a wealth of information to farmers, including market data, weather forecasts, best practices and Government services.

To date, 1 605 devices have been distributed to extension officers in Matabeleland South (388), Matabeleland North (355) and Manicaland (696) provinces.

Meat graders, who fall under the Directorate of Veterinary Services, received 166 devices.

Speaking during the recent handover ceremony in Makoni district, Manicaland province, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri urged extension workers to use the gadgets for the benefit of farmers.

“We want to have food security everywhere and every day in all agro-ecological regions,” he said.

“The onus is on you as agriculture business advisers to make sure that even the lazy ones afford to have a minimum of three Pfumvudza/ Intwasa plots to attain food security at household level.”

Extension workers, he said, must work towards enabling communities to take agriculture seriously.

“The Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services, like any other organisation

in Zimbabwe, is well-anchored by a relatively robust ICT infrastructure.

“Services such as Open Data Kit (ODK), taking of coordinates, use of GPS (global positioning system) and in-service training can now be done using tablets. Let us go and utilise the gadgets and take great care of them for the next three years and make sure we collect authentic data,” said Prof Jiri.

Distribution of the devices coincided with the launch of the nationwide crop, livestock and fisheries assessment that requires extensive data collection and transmission.

“Crop assessment has commenced, so your work has been made easier and I also go back to work happier knowing you have the capacity to do the work.”

Armed with the devices, extension workers are no longer required to travel to offices to submit data they would have collected in the field, which was considered time-consuming. ◆