The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) together with other stake holders have conducted a digital agricultural awareness workshop to educate farmers on the available technologies within the agricultural sector focusing on ridging the gap between farmers and the market.
According to Dr. Joshua Sikhu Okonya Program Officer for Technology and Innovation at (ASARECA) Most farmers have faced a challenge where they fail to link with their consumers due to inadequate resources.
“So, with the oncoming digital revolution, certain applications, web-based apps, SMS apps do exist so we wanted to link them to the off-takers who are already on boarded onto the digital platforms “he explained.
Digital connectors have also been trained to provide extension services to farmers with little or no knowledge on how to use digital platforms and this helped various farmers mostly hose in remote areas to be on boarded onto the use of digital platforms.
Financing this project has been done by various funders and Uganda is privileged to be part of the three beneficiary countries. Each country receives an estimation of over 200 to 300 euros for three years.
“This is a bigger project it is a 4.8 million Euro project but under it we have 11 sub projects that stared in February 2022 and will be ending in February 2025.” Dr.John
Various organizations have been facilitated to develop digital platforms that seamlessly connect farmers to customers. Platforms like “Farm to for”, developed by UCU (Uganda Christian University) in partnership with the Uganda National Farmers Federation, are a prime example. These platforms enable farmers to profile their produce, including details like production volume, maturity timelines, and market prices.
On the same platform, buyers are able to connect directly with producers, negotiate terms, and make purchases. This integration not only simplifies the process of linking farmers to markets but also ensures transparency and efficiency in transactions.
By leveraging technology, these initiatives are addressing critical challenges faced by farmers, such as access to reliable market information, fair pricing, and overcoming barriers to market entry.
Kasamba, Salin, a farmer from Bugiri district has benefited greatly from adopting technology in his daily farming activities. This shift has not only improved his productivity but has also enhanced his income and overall quality of life. Salin’s experience highlights the transformative potential of technology in empowering smallholder farmers and fostering agricultural development.
“Now, when I get when I got connected to the platforms, I’m now able to access the buyers of my produce. When I’m at home, or even in the garden when I’m taking tea or conversing with my colleagues in the trading center” he added.
“We focus on digital agricultural systems so we are building digital agricultural models that can help small holder farmers in rural areas access market, access information, and access other services that can help transform agriculture” Dr. Rosemirta Birungi FAO Technical Specialist on Value Chains emphasized.
Agri-tech platforms like Famunera have digitized food systems to boost supply chain management, traceability, market linkages and access to affordable trade financing backed by block chain technology.
“We support farmers and organisations that are also implementing agricultural projects, for farmers we support them in the way that they use platforms to access both local and global and international market and they can as well use the platform to manage their entire supply chain ”Naika Enock Julius is the founder and CEO of Famunera explained.
The integration of digital technologies in agriculture holds great promise for enhancing market access for farmers. By addressing existing gaps through innovative solutions, the agricultural sector can improve productivity and profitability while empowering smallholder farmers in rural areas. Continued investment in technology and training will be crucial for sustaining these advancements and ensuring equitable access to market opportunities.
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