Posts by Staff Writer
Farmed bird (ostrich, chicken & turkey) behaviour
by Ross G. Cooper, D.Phil. Ostriches, chickens and turkeys, are principally terrestrial, although they are certainly capable of great leaps particularly during avoidance and defensive stances. It is essential that the farmer establishes the correct incubator temperature and relative humidity parameters if the development of the embryo, including its limbs and wings, are to proceed…
Read MoreART Farm Varieties Demo Day: Seed, chemicals, innovations
ART Farm recently held its annual Varieties Demo Day, bringing together partners, seed companies, agrochemical suppliers and farmers for a showcase that this season carried a distinctly forward-looking flavour. Alongside the traditional side-by-side variety plots, the day surfaced a technology conversation that is growing louder across the commercial farming sector: drone spraying, and the regulatory…
Read MoreHow a conflict thousands of miles away has potential to disrupt Zimbabwe’s horticulture sector
A recent post by Clarence Mwale, CEO of Kuminda and Chairman of the Export Produce Growers Association of Zimbabwe (EPGAZ), a sub sector of the Horticultural Development Council (HDC), has highlighted a growing crisis facing Zimbabwe’s export horticulture industry and one that is unfolding far beyond the farm gate. Whilst the war may be far…
Read MoreART Farm, Harare, the venue for ZHB Beef School 2026
The Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB) Beef School returns in September 2026 with a strong, practical programme designed to support livestock producers across the country, this time being hosted in Harare for the first time in many years. The move to bring the event to our capital city comes at an important time for the agricultural…
Read MoreAre current fertiliser recommendations and trial conditions relevant to smallholder maize farmers?
As the Agricultural Research Trust (ART) prepares to host a Varieties Demo Open Day next Thursday at its research farm in ART Farm near Harare, an important discussion has emerged around the relevance of maize research trials and fertiliser recommendations for the country’s diverse farming sector. The online debate between ART Farm Head of Research…
Read MoreFoot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks raise regional alarm across Southern Africa
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), one of the world’s most contagious livestock diseases, is threatening cattle industries and rural livelihoods across Southern Africa after confirmed outbreaks in Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries triggered heightened regional concerns, trade restrictions and intensified disease control measures. Early this year, Zimbabwe’s veterinary authorities confirmed an outbreak of FMD in Mangwe District, close…
Read MoreTIMB sets stage for 2026 tobacco marketing season amid record output, global market pressures
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) says Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector is entering the 2026 marketing season on a strong but strategically cautious footing, with record production expected, structural reforms underway and renewed focus on quality in the face of global oversupply. Speaking at a pre-season media interface in Harare, TIMB Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel…
Read MoreThe Seven Francs book launch
The past week marked the informal launch of Kevin Cooke’s newly published book, The Seven Francs: Shotguns, Gamebirds & Gundogs. Harare South tobacco farmer and former Zimbabwe Tobacco Association president Kevin Cooke has long been known in farming and sporting circles. In this book, he turns his hand to recording a deeply personal quest: to…
Read MoreRegenerative vs conventional cropping: What three years of trials reveal
By Hugo Winkfield, ART Farm As Zimbabwe’s commercial agriculture sector seeks to remain both profitable and sustainable, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a potential pathway forward. But can regenerative systems truly compete with conventional high-input cropping, especially under Zimbabwean conditions? A three-year independent evaluation at ART Farm in Harare set out to answer this question…
Read MoreMore than a bottom feeder: Understanding and eating Zimbabwe’s catfish
by Ross G. Cooper, D.Phil. Catfish species in Zimbabwe There are 23 species of catfish in Zimbabwe. They are carnivorous and scavenge fish and are characterised by scaleless bodies and conspicuous feelers or barbels around the mouth. They range in size from the spotted catlet and rock catlets, barely reaching 6cm in length, to the…
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