By Tendai Chisiri
NetOne emerges the best communications stand at the 2023 Harare Agriculture Show as the they showed their support to the theme “Sustainable Growth: Adaptation, Productivity, Linkages”, and were awarded an award.
NetOne, the mobile network stand had a tractor, greenhouse and the young were playing video games. The children played the video game called FIFA and they depicted a bravura display of talent.
” The games are all fine. Its only that the television sets are few because a lot of young people are visiting the stand”, said Victor Njerere from Waterfalls who and his friends were playing the games.
NetOne Group Chief Executive Office, Raphael Mushanawani speaking to the media at the stand said they had digital projects aimee at helping the small holder farmers and commercial farmers.
” We have projects we are rolling to farmers so that there is productivity in the agriculture sector and also found farming to be flexible. We are looking at persons in the village. They may not have a greenhouse but we know that they may be using drip irrigation, so those are the people we are targeting. We will be able to assist them to make sure that the water being used for irrigation is measured and controlled”, he hinted.
Farmers are always advised to use a certain amount of water for irigation. Few or too much amount of water used in irrigation can affect the growth of the crops.
“Our target is from the smallest household to the commercial farmers. We are also going to roll out the project just across Africa”, he added.
“The products will start to be used this year and we have already started working with the products. Right now we are in the final phase of finalising the testing. We do have farms that are being used to test the products. Very soon we will be able to roll out to the entire population in Zimbabwe. It has been on from 2022 and most of 2023, we have been refining the products”, Mashanawani added.
He said in line with the mantra is His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa which advocates to leave noone and no place behind, they will be with ekimg with the youth and women to make sure that they adapt and are able to use the technologies.
“Technology if not properly trained might actually be a disaster. So there are a number of opportunities that will come with these innovations for both the young and women”, he said.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy in Zimbabwe. So anybody who doesn’t like agriculture is not understanding and I think all do it or else we will have empty stomach. We don’t want to have hunger. We need to actively and progressively play in that sector to make sure that agriculture is a success. So we have right ingridient im Zimbabwe for agro-based economy and we need to take advantage of that. So lets take advantage of technology that is available for us to be productive”, he added.
“For us as NetOne, we are looking at being productive and flexible. We want one to monitor the cattle even in Harare and for one to sell the cattle wherever he is. If one is able to monitor these cattle or identifying them, issues of theft will be managed quite well. We want to support all these initiatives, police will definitely be a beneficator. Even insurance, you find that everybody who insure cattle that are being monitored, the premiums will also go down. There are a number of benefits, down stream benefits that will come with these technologies at the end of the day. Where our network is, mostly these products will be and we are expanding our network to the remotest areas” Mushanawani stated.
By using Internet of Things and remote management of various farming activities, NetOne is offering farmers production enhanced solutions. The exciting solution is Green house, this is where NetOne is introducing technology that will assist farmers in managing and controlling the greenhouse environment. It comprises of Temperature Management System, Smart Water Metering System and Remote Monitoring Solutions.
Another exciting solution is the Livestock Tracking System. Farmers can now track the location or movement of their livestock through Tracking service and Geo-Fenximg technology.
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