Top Agronomist Dies11 August 2025 Top Agronomist Dies He passed away at the Trauma Centre in Harare on Saturday morning “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Edworks Mhandu this morning at Borrowdale Trauma Centre,” a close relative said “A true icon in the agricultural sector, he dedicated his career to transforming the industry through his remarkable contributions at Seed Co and Quton “Beyond his professional excellence, he was a loving husband, a devoted father, an amazing grandfather, and an inspiration to many His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched.” Dr Mhandu was a key figure in the growth of the country’s agricultural sector, spearheading various programmes to support farmers across the country He previously served as MD for Seed Co Zimbabwe, the country’s largest seed producer in 2020, before he stepped down on medical grounds in 2022 Prof Idah Sithole–Niang, Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Zimbabwe, said she was devastated to learn about Dr Mhandu’s death “I am deeply shocked My deepest condolences to his family,” she said “I first met Dr Edworks Mhandu in biotech circles over a decade ago For a while there, I thought he was a plant breeder, only to learn that he was in finance Such was his brilliance in the seed sector He then pursued his doctoral studies on Bt cotton and had the privilege of working with him on the subject “We later co-authored a commissioned paper on GMOs that was well-received and widely read He had planned to publish his doctoral thesis and had asked me to write the foreword He knew the Biotech seed sector back to front and was instrumental in bringing the much-needed attention to GM cotton in Zimbabwe My deepest condolences to his family and friends He will be sorely missed.” He was born on 8 August 1958 at Marondamashanu in Chivhu district Dr Mhandu is survived by his wife Abigail, three children – Rufaro, Kudzai, Isheanesu and three grandchildren All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com Source: ZimEye Source: Zimeye
