Agricultural Revolving Fund

Due to challenges to financing research work on the station from limited resources from voted provision and inaccessible donor funds the station has to rely on income generating projects. In the past, availability of donor support funds always complemented voted provisions, especially in the area of acquisition of expensive laboratory equipment, which in most cases is not available locally. However, in the absence of the latter, the station has to fill the gap by strengthening its income generation activities. In real terms, the station has experienced reductions in funds allocation for capital and recurrent expenditure.

The main ARF programs include:

a)Livestock Production

1. Broiler production-current project is 3000 birds/month
2. Milk production-25 milkers of crossbred and purebred Jersey animals
3. Beef production-feedlot and cull animals from conversation herds

b)Crop production

1. Potato production-2hax3 production cycles
2. Maize production-
3. Vegetable production-cabbage and tomato
4. Wheat production

 Strategic support Services

• Estate (farm) Section. The section is responsible for the institute infrastructure and asset maintenance and repair, provision of traction and transport services for research programs and crop production activities under the ARF programs.
• Administration Unit. The unit is responsible for institute asset management and procurement of goods and services.
• Accounts Unit.The unit is responsible for the financial accounting of institutes finances and procurement of goods and services.
• Human Resources Unit. The unit is responsible for the procurement, maintenance and compensation of human resources. The unit ensures that the right people with the right skills are placed within the right places in the institute.
• Chemistry Section:The unit is responsible for analysis of feed and plant samples from research experiments.Their strategic function is internal quality assessment of research outputs

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

a)Publications

• 18 scientific papers (Journal papers, Proceedings and posters, Technical papers, Book chapters)
• Technical Reports for period 2005-2010 (in print)

b)Brochures and pamphlets

• Urea treatment manual
• Silage making manual
• Calliandra Calothysus manual

c)Research Technologies generated

• 2 Bana grass varieties
• 5 tropical grasses and 5 legumes

d)Conservation of indigenous cattle breeds

• 100 Boer bucks, 25 Tuli bulls and 15 Dorper rams sold to farmers since 2003
• 5000kg of pasture seed sold to farmers

e)Show Exhibitions 2010 and 2011:

• Harare Show: First Prizes in cattle category and second and third prizes in Sheep and Goats.
• Marondera Show: First prize in cattle category

f)Farm advisory services for period (Jan- Aug 2011)

• 14 farmers visited station and were given advisory services on goat, beef and pasture management.
• There 6 farm visits for advisory services on pasture improvement and beef production

g) Collaboration and partnership

• One-EU collaborative project on rangeland research
• Two Acaricide projects-Coopers (Pvt) Limited and Zimchem
• One project- ACIAR on forage legume production
• One new BOT ARF project with Private Sector
• One project with Africa University on forage production.
• One project with Hydro-Tech on Silage and pasture seed production.

Upcoming new collaborative projects

a) One project with N2 Africa on forage and pasture seed production

b) One project with Windmill (Pvt) on winter supplementation for cattle

c) One project with farmers on silage production

d) One Acaricide project with Coopers Zimbabwe

h) Farmer and Student Training

i) ARF-Revenue (ARF)

j) Staff upgrading

• 2 Drivers
• 1 Administrative Assistant
• 1 Registry Assistant.

k)Manpower training and development

• 2 Phd, (Netherlands), 2 Bsc (UZ), 1 MSc (CUT), 2 Diploma Accounting and Poultry production (Netherlands)
• RBM for all technical staff (PSC).
• 2 Admin staff in computer maintenance (UZ)
• 1 Technical hand on Artificial Insemination (UZ)
• 1 Chemist on Best Laboratory practices (Laboratory Association of Zimbabwe.

l)Staff retention

• 80% retention for skilled and professional staff and 70% for unskilled staff.