Mechanized tools reap huge benefits in Zimbabwe 

In September 2024, farmers in Zimbabwe gathered for a four-day training hosted by TSURO, with support from Alongside Hope. The workshop drew farmers from across the region, local and far, including ADRA Mozambique, Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe, Feed the Future Zimbabwe, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and other organizations. It was a unique chance for farmers, faith leaders, and agricultural organizations to learn side by side. 

This program was not just classroom learning. Each day blended theory with practical fieldwork. Farmers measured contours, tested water ring levels, and learned to use spirit levels with impressive precision. Out in the fields, they tried out the Maresha and Magoye Rippers, tools that open furrows while disturbing the soil as little as possible. They also practised new spacing and planting techniques, using the size of ox yokes to guide consistent inter-row planting. 

The results were immediate. Farmers saw how small adjustments could conserve water, protect soil health, and prepare the land in a way that sets crops up for success. What might have seemed like small innovations in technique soon revealed themselves as powerful tools for long-term resilience. 

Mechanized agriculture training matters because it reshapes what is already possible. It equips farmers’ confidence with new equipment while honouring their traditional wisdom. It saves time and reduces the backbreaking labour that has long been part of farming life. And it shows farmers how to harvest more food without exhausting the land their families depend on. 

But the changes mean more than bigger harvests and less time spent in the field. They mean new opportunities to earn income. Mechanization is not only about tools, it is about transformation. By combining modern equipment with conservation practices already used, farmers are building fields that can thrive.