Nairobi — The adoption of digital technology and mechanisation in African agriculture could significantly contribute to meeting the continent’s rising food demands, exacerbated by population growth and climate change challenges.
According to Kenya News Agency, Executive Director of the Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), innovations such as improved seed varieties, mechanisation, and post-harvest technologies are set to enhance food production across Africa. Kanangire, who was speaking to journalists in Nairobi on Wednesday during the first African Conference on Agricultural Technology (ACAT), highlighted the crucial role that digital tools, including the internet, play in modern farming.
For instance, Kanangire elaborated on how farmers can take advantage of digital platforms to diagnose crop health. “This is possible when one goes to the field, takes a photo of the crops, posts them on the internet, and someone will tell them what nutrients their crop is missing,” he explained.
Further, Kanangire pointed out that through digital communication, farmers can acquire knowledge, pose questions, and receive prompt responses, fostering an environment conducive to knowledge exchange and technological advancement. Technology also facilitates the linking of farmers to markets, enabling them to access online markets or sell produce in bulk, which can secure better pricing.
Addressing the specifics of such technological applications, Kanangire mentioned that in large-scale farming operations, such as in Nigeria, drones are deployed to assess vast cassava fields, providing data on soil nutrients and indicating precise locations for fertilizer application or weed control. This adoption of precision agriculture, even by smallholder farmers, is seen as a driving force for achieving food security in Africa.
Kanangire also emphasized the potential of solar technology in resolving energy issues for farmers, advocating for the installation of solar panels to support irrigation, household lighting, and mobile phone charging for information access.
He called upon researchers to simplify their findings for the broader understanding of smallholder farmers, thereby combating misinformation and enhancing technology adoption. Kanangire suggested that sharing success stories of farmers who have benefited from new technologies could further encourage widespread acceptance.
Highlighting the ACAT conference’s objective, Kanangire noted its role in disseminating accurate information to agricultural stakeholders and facilitating interaction with experts. He stressed the importance of appropriate policy and funding for agriculture, referencing the achievements of countries like Zambia and Ethiopia in wheat production.
In conclusion, Kanangire urged African governments to honor the Maputo Declaration by allocating at least 10 percent of their national budgets to the agricultural sector. This financial commitment is expected to support research and development, as well as to strengthen local institutions for developing solutions such as certified seed production and extension services, ultimately bolstering food production on the continent.