shloboe boe
Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]
The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has launched a pioneering agricultural science technology programme aimed at integrating modern technologies to enhance the country’s agricultural sector and boost food security.
The Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education has approved the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology, with the first intake of students set to begin their studies in March this year.
This initiative aligns with the Government’s vision to incorporate cutting-edge agricultural technologies to improve the country’s agricultural productivity. While most tertiary institutions in the country primarily focus on crop-related studies, Nust’s new programme will address the mechanical aspects of agriculture, emphasising technological advancements to enhance farming efficiency.
In an interview, the acting executive dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Science, and Technology Professor Allan Sebata, said the programme is designed to integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and drone technology into agriculture. These technologies aim to increase production while reducing human labour.
“This programme seeks to integrate the use of technologies in agriculture. We need to apply more technologies to increase production while also reducing human labour. Our programmes essentially focus on the application of modern-day technologies, precision agriculture and the use of drones in agriculture.
So those are some of the technologies that we seek to apply to improve productivity,” he said.
The programme is set to be the first of its kind in the country, aiming to improve efficiency and productivity through technological applications. One of the key goals of the programme is to enable precise application of nutrients and moisture to crops, thereby enhancing crop yields. Prof Sebata also said Nust aims to pioneer agro-industrial parks, which will serve as hubs for agricultural innovation and production.
Nust’s farm will play a central role in the practical teaching of the programme, with the university using its own facilities to demonstrate the application of these technologies. The university also plans to engage with the farming community to extend the impact of the programme beyond the classroom.
“It’s ground breaking in the sense that we want to bring modern technologies to improve efficiency, to improve productivity. So, the application of technology in agriculture is the way to go. If you are looking at cropping we want to be able to apply the correct amount of nutrients and the correct amount of moisture to improve crop yields,” said Prof Sebata.
“We will demonstrate the use of these technologies to farmers and our long-term goal is to establish a farm-based faculty that not only focuses on production but also value addition.”
The university plans to assist neighbouring farmers by introducing agro-industrial parks and promoting modern farming techniques.
While Nust does not yet have all the necessary equipment for the programme, Prof Sebata emphasised that the university will utilise resources from other departments such as computer science and biology, to pilot the project. The university is also in the process of acquiring additional facilities.
The new faculty will offer five departments, with a target of 40 students in the first intake. These departments will include Sustainable Food Production, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Information
Technology, Agricultural Genetics and Cell Technology and Agribusiness, Economics and Management. The Sustainable Food Production department will focus on food security, while the Agricultural Engineering department will develop technologies for smallholder farmers. The Agribusiness department will address marketing challenges faced by farmers.
Prof Sebata highlighted that value addition and beneficiation will be a key focus of the programme.
“Without value addition, agriculture will remain stagnant. We need to explore how we can manufacture stockfeed, process tomatoes into products like puree and export them to regional markets,” he said.
The university is also focusing on water management, particularly in light of the country’s water shortages that have impacted crop production. Prof Sebata stressed the importance of private sector partnerships to help implement the programme and bring modern technologies to agriculture.
“We want to partner with companies and other private sector players to bring technologies that will improve agriculture,” he said. — @nqotshili
