Tag: farming

Farmer.Chat: Shaping Modern Agriculture for Youth in Kenya

Posted on by michael

In Meru County, Kenya, at the vibrant heart of its agricultural community, Annred Gakii’s farm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience. At 29, this single mother has dramatically transformed her agricultural practices and economic outlook through the strategic use of advanced technology. By leveraging the capabilities of Farmer.Chat Kenya, an AI-powered digital assistant designed specifically for farmers, Annred has not only revolutionized her farm operations but has also become a source of inspiration and leadership within her community.

Annred’s venture into agriculture was born out of necessity—a young single mother returning to her parents’ home, determined to forge a sustainable future for her son and herself. Initially, her efforts were met with modest success, limited by traditional farming methods that did not yield enough to lift her family out of financial uncertainty. The turning point came when she discovered Farmer.Chat Kenya through a local agricultural training program. This innovative tool introduced her to a world of possibilities, including real-time agricultural advice and data-driven farming techniques.

One notable instance of the tool’s impact came when Annred faced an urgent crisis: her dairy cow became severely ill. Utilizing Farmer.Chat, she quickly accessed vital advice on how to handle the situation. “The cow was assessed and found to be fit for consumption and so I sold it off to the slaughterhouse in good time,” Annred recalls. The proceeds from this sale allowed her to purchase a new calf and sustain her dairy operations without financial loss.

Buoyed by this success, Annred expanded her agricultural endeavors. Initially focusing solely on millet, she diversified her crops to include maize, beans, bananas, sunflowers, and even ventured into poultry farming. Each step of the way, Farmer.Chat provided her with tailored advice that maximized her yields and minimized costs. The digital tool helped her understand the best planting practices and optimal harvest times, significantly boosting her farm’s productivity.

“The financial barriers that once seemed insurmountable are now a thing of the past. School fees are no longer a problem, and now, I even support my parents,” Annred shares with pride. This financial stability is a direct result of her embracing technological solutions in her farming practice, which have not only increased her yields but also enhanced the quality of life for her family.

Moreover, Annred’s success has elevated her status in the community, turning her into a local agricultural advisor. Her experience with Farmer.Chat has equipped her with the knowledge to assist her neighbors and fellow farmers, translating digital advice into practical, actionable farming strategies. This role has not only empowered her but also fostered a spirit of collaboration and mutual growth within her community.

Looking to the future, Annred is enthusiastic about further expanding her crops and exploring new agricultural technologies. She is especially keen on continuing to improve her advisory role, aiming to nurture a new generation of tech-savvy, young farmers in Meru County. “The potential to revolutionize farming with digital tools is immense, and I am just getting started,” she states confidently.

Annred Gakii’s story is a compelling example of how integrating technology into traditional farming practices can lead to remarkable outcomes. It underscores the critical role of innovative digital tools like our AI assistant, Farmer.Chat in empowering farmers to make informed decisions, increase productivity, and achieve sustainability. As we celebrate her achievements, we also recognize the broader implications for agricultural development—where technology and traditional knowledge meet, the possibilities for transforming lives and communities are boundless.

Fighting FAW With Video-Based Agriculture Extension

Posted on by Susan Thomas

Ato Abraham Megersa is a farmer in Toke Kutaye woreda, West Shoa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Born in 1978, he has 4 sisters and 2 brothers. Ato Abraham is a father of 5 children (3 daughters and 2 sons). Except one, all his children are going to school. Ato Abraham had to discontinue his schooling after 9th grade when his father passed away in 1994 and had to start working to support his family.

Farming and animal rearing are the main sources of income for Ato Abraham’s family who are subsistence farmers. The major crops grown on his 1.5 hectares are Teff, wheat, and maize. They have 15 domestic animals, including goats, cows etc. Apart from his own farmland, he rented another 2.5 ha of irrigation land in 2018-19.  Four oxen and his family labor to till the land.

Ato Abraham had had very limited contact with the Development Agents (agricultural extension agents of the government) and had little knowledge about the existing government extension advisory services. Which resulted in a knowledge gap around package-of-practices such as row planting, optimum plant density planting, use of the recommended amount of fertilizer, UREA side-dressing, herbicide application, and spraying of pesticides to control insects like African ball worm and others.

“Ato Abraham attended a few video dissemination sessions in 2010. He planted 1 hectare of land with maize using the full package of practices, such as the use of improved seeds, row planting and the like. However, despite using the improved practices, the production was lower than ever before due to a severe attack by Fall Army Worm (FAW) in the region,” shared Solomon Bayisa, extension expert of Toke Kutaye woreda.

Observing the damaged crop, Solomon Bayisa suggested Ato Abraham attend video disseminations on FAW identification and management to effectively control the damage.

Ato Abraham attended a series of video dissemination sessions on identifying, scouting and managing FAW. He was able to scout and manage his maize crop from seedling to the silking stage. He picked up FAWs with his plastic gloved hands and put them all in plastic bags that gave no room to the FAWs to escape and put them in boiling water, killing the worms effectively and arresting further outbreak. Moreover, he was able to squash eggs beneath lower leaves, which range from 150 – 200 eggs/plant. Timeliness of these practices has helped him control the worm effectively before they could bore into the stem, where they are no longer visible and stay protected.

As a result, Ato Abraham was thankful to the DA for the video dissemination program that helped him protect his maize crop from this devastating new worm in his area. ‘’I have gotten the highest yield that has not been obtained in the area,” shared Ato Abraham during the interview. He added that “Learning gives power and wisdom to overcome problems.”

Ato Abraham planted maize seedlings on 1.5 ha of land as seen in the picture above. His crop stands impressively as compared to other fields in his area. This is a proxy indicator of highly improved productivity and production. Ato Abraham has understood the difference made by video-enabled learning. “I am committed to sharing the best practices with fellow farmers who have no opportunity to attend video screenings,” he added.

The Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project is led by Digital Green in partnership with organizations such as the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), DLEC is an action-oriented, evidence-based learning project. In this pilot (refer to engagement Factsheet) we worked in partnership with the Ethiopian government, Agricultural Transformation Agency and FinTrac to test a multipronged, digital data-driven approach to mitigate the effects of Fall Armyworm for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.