POTRAZ seeks ICT solutions to agric productivity
POSTAL and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) will in a fortnight hold bring together computer programming experts to collaborate on Information communication and technology (ICT) solutions that can be used to improve farming yields.
Set to run from 4 -8 October 2021, this year’s edition of the agriculture focussed hackathon will be centred on proffering sustainable ICT solutions that can reduce costs and improve productivity in the agricultural sector.
According to POTRAZ, the hackathon was inspired by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) 2019 study whose findings revealed that the country’s average maize production was 0,64 metric tonnes per hectare compared to higher tonnage elsewhere in the region per hectare.
Statistics on regional average shows that South African farmers have the highest per unit output at an average of 5,3 metric tonnes per hectare, Zambia (2,8) while in Malawi and Kenya production averages 1, 67, and 1.66 metric tonnes per hectare, respectively.
This agriculture-centric programming event intends to create new ideas that could solve the problem of low-average agricultural yields in the country’s agriculture sector. Generally, a hackathon is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers and other ICT geniuses partake in software development projects.
POTRAZ director- general Dr Gift Machengete told The Herald Finance and Business that the initiative was meant to enhance productivity in the agriculture sector which is the mainstay of the Zimbabwean economy.
“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 0,54 metric tonnes per hectare whilst commercial farmers contribute 3,82 metric tonnes per hectare, hence the low average yield and low production.
“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 low yields, hence the need for a Hackathon aimed specifically at addressing the problem of low average agricultural yields.
“…our second hackathon for 2021, will run from 4 October 2021 to 8 October 2021 under the theme “Towards Vision 2030
With Agric-Tech”, said Dr Machengete.
According to POTRAZ, the main objective of this contest is to identify ICT innovations that will help in reversing the trend of low yields per hectare.
The top five ideas will be implemented with support from the innovative action drive.
“From this contest, we are looking forward to identifying innovators with ideas that will assist the country in solving the problem of low average agricultural yields and we believe we have the brains amongst our youngsters to turn this situation around, for the benefit of our country,” added Dr Machengete.
Minister of Information Communication and Technology Dr Jenfan Muswere is on record saying hackathons are designed to develop home-grown solutions to different socio-economic challenges inflicting the country.
Running along will be a hackathon aimed at finding solutions that minimise the spread, coordinate response mechanisms, and promote public awareness of the Covid 19 pandemic.
The government has lately been on a drive to grow innovation to drive research and development towards the creation of ICT solutions that substitute imports and assist the county to reduce the import bill.