Zimbabwe gears up for second agricultural research and extension

By Regina Pasipanodya

Agricultural Research Innovation and Specialist Services (ARISS) Directorate is preparing to host the second edition of the Agricultural Research and Extension Symposium, which is a main event aimed at moving forward research-driven agricultural productivity in Zimbabwe.

The symposium, which will be conducted in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society, will be focusing on “Transformative Agricultural Technologies: Accelerating the Attainment of Vision 2030.”

ARISS Chief Director Dr. Dumisani Kutshwayo, highlighted the main components of the symposium’s role in disseminating the latest research findings to the stakeholders.

He confirmed that the first symposium which was held in March 2023 was a great success and set the foundation for this year’s symposium.

The symposium includes a presentation of 165 research papers, with 80 oral presentations and the remainder showcased as posters.

These have been sourced from both local and international universities and also from the key industry people such as the Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station, Kutsaga Research, the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre, and the Zimbabwe Biobanks and Genomics.

A call for abstracts was made to academic institutions, researchers, and students, resulting in 86 submissions from within ARISS, eight from ARDAS, and various contributions from cultural education and irrigation departments.

“We also had meaningful contribution from the local universities, where they submitted 36 abstracts and we are expecting that all this information, coupled with us as a public sector research institution along with our colleagues within the research sector to disseminate the new finding,” added Dr. Kutshwayo.

There will be also official government speakers giving keynote addresses.

This includes the Minister and Permenant Secretary of Lands, Agriculture Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and other experts that have been invited by the government.

Dr. Kutshwayo declared that all stakeholders should be present and ensured that the stakeholders’ comments and feedback would be the source of future research priorities.

Zimbabwe is instigating changes in agriculture, and the seminar will be the launchpad, leveraging the industry to the realisation of these objectives through research-led solutions.