Oscar Mataruka
| Organization | Agro Intel |
|---|---|
| Organization type | Private Sector (Commercial Companies) |
| Organization role |
Business Development Manager
|
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Area of Expertise |
Web & mobile application development
Horticulture (crop production) Aquaculture (Oreochromis niloticus) |
Creative and entrepreneurial individual with a passion for appropriate technology, ICT4Ag and standards-based sustainable farming. Holds a BSc (Electrical Engineering) and enjoys technology design and working to include smallholder farmers in the more valuable parts of the value chain.
Founder of Agro Intel, a tech-focused farmer training startup operating in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Oscar is 33 years old and currently resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This member participated in the following Forums
Forum The Role of ICTs in Sustainable Crop Production Intensification (SCPI) of horticulture crop based system (mainly fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers)
From your understanding and experiences, what is the role of ICTs in sustainable intensification of horticulture crop based s
Because intensification is ultimately going to be implemented by farmers, the starting point ought to be understanding their view of it. Farmers want to progress in their work, and are often very willing to adopt new practices and aims once they appreciate the benefits thereof.
That said, a significant role for ICTs going forward will be communicating to the (African smallholder) farmer
(a) the importance (global), (b) the value (for individual farmer) and (c) the actual practices to adopt/ steps to take, working with what they have.
My view is that the majority of our smallholders need very little incentive to adopt good agricultural practices- they just need to see the benefits with their own eyes. This causes me to believe in video as an ICT tool in particular;
1. Videos of success stories delivered directly to the farmer or farmer group. Videos of farmers in other places realizing real benefits from adopting sustainable intensification would not only inform, but also stimulate aspiration.
2. Video tutorials of how to "do" sustainable intensification.
Zimbabwe for instance, has a saturated mobile penetration, with an estimated 98% of its population having mobile broadband.
Video has proven to have very low adoption issues across Africa, and in my view, would be worth the translation and deployment (particularly from a cost of data perspective).