By Dickson Bandera
A quiet revolution is taking place in Zimbabwe’s livestock sector, where digital innovation is transforming traditional farming practices. The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), has launched the KoBoCollect Stock Card — a smart Android-based application designed to help farmers efficiently manage livestock data.
Gone are the days of worn-out paper records and unreliable memory-based management. With KoBoCollect, farmers can now input and monitor stock card information in real time, gaining critical insights that can improve day-to-day operations. From recording births and vaccinations to tracking sales and deaths, everything is captured with just a few taps on a smartphone.
The benefits are significant. With accurate, up-to-date digital records, farmers can make better-informed decisions regarding breeding, feeding, health care, and sales. This, in turn, is expected to boost productivity and operational efficiency across Zimbabwe’s livestock industry.
A detailed step-by-step user guide will be released soon to assist farmers in getting started with the app. Additionally, nationwide training programmes are in the pipeline to ensure widespread adoption and proper use of the platform.
The initiative underscores the government’s ongoing efforts to modernise agriculture, empower rural communities, and promote innovation-driven development in the farming sector.
For more information, farmers are encouraged to contact the Communications and Advocacy Department at agriccommunications@gmail.com or reach out to the Department of Veterinary Services on +263 242 791516 or +263 778 917908.
