Speaking at World Consumer Rights Day 2020 celebrations on Monday, Potraz head of consumer affairs and publicity George Manyaya - speaking on behalf of the authority's director-general, Gift Machengete - encouraged consumers to embrace technology in farming.
"The theme for this year's celebrations is ‘The Sustainable Consumer' with a special focus on e-agriculture. Indeed, ICTs play a pivotal role in the agricultural sector as they can facilitate access to timely and accurate information to stakeholders in the sector.
"The use of technology, especially mobile applications, is key and this is why e-agriculture applications have been developed globally to improve livelihoods through increased agricultural productivity, reduced agricultural production risks and increased incomes," Manyaya said.
He said farmers must take advantage of technology to improve their operations.
"Bearing in mind that agriculture is one of the main pillars of our economy, there is a need to focus on e-agriculture applications to ensure that our aspirations and needs in this key socio-economic area are addressed to ensure that the future is smart.
"We call upon all stakeholders to embrace smart agriculture practices to cushion farmers against the effects of climate change and guarantee food security in the face of changing climate.
"The adoption of smart agriculture will fast-track the modernisation of agriculture and accelerate the transformation of the sector through augmenting access to agricultural inputs, stimulating production and plant the appropriate seed which is intended to endure drought conditions and this is where sustainability is brought about through efficient distribution and consumption of ICTs."
Potraz added that through the use of technology, farmers can easily do their maps.
"The use of technologies like the Global Positioning System (GPS) provides benefits in geo-fencing, map-making and surveying wherein farmers can produce simple yet highly accurate digitised maps without the help of a professional cartographer.
"Likewise, in precision farming, land can be mapped digitally and pertinent geodetic data such as topography and contours are combined with other statistical data for easier analysis of the soil. These technologies assist in decision-making as to what, where, when and how to plant using historical data and sampling," Manyaya said.
