A bunch of agricultural groups met up in Harare to talk about building a new central data system, called the Agricultural Information Repository System or AIRS. The Agricultural Marketing Authority, which is running the project, says right now all the farm data in Zimbabwe is scattered across different government offices and private companies. AMA's CEO Alice Mapfiza pointed out that this mess makes it hard to get a clear picture of what's actually happening with crops, livestock, markets, and food security. Their goal is to smash all those data silos and create one unified digital system that everyone can use, with plans to get it running by early 2026.
The proposed system would pull together info on everything from farmer registries and production numbers to commodity prices and trade flows. AMA agribusiness director Jonathan Mukuruba mentioned it's built around twelve specific modules for things like insurance, market links, and finance. Some people at the meeting, like Dr. Reneth Mano from the livestock and feed groups, told the AMA they should use data that already exists in places like district offices and abattoirs instead of starting from scratch. Others, like Knowledge Transfer Africa's Charles Dhewa, thought twelve modules were too many and suggested cutting back, while a young farmers' rep expressed hope the system could help stabilize prices with better market intelligence.
The proposed system would pull together info on everything from farmer registries and production numbers to commodity prices and trade flows. AMA agribusiness director Jonathan Mukuruba mentioned it's built around twelve specific modules for things like insurance, market links, and finance. Some people at the meeting, like Dr. Reneth Mano from the livestock and feed groups, told the AMA they should use data that already exists in places like district offices and abattoirs instead of starting from scratch. Others, like Knowledge Transfer Africa's Charles Dhewa, thought twelve modules were too many and suggested cutting back, while a young farmers' rep expressed hope the system could help stabilize prices with better market intelligence.
