Kenya releases new crop of tech-savvy extension officers

Because of the gap created when the government went slow on employing the extension officers, an army of geeks stepped in and has produced dozens of applications that now give the agri-preneurs access to key data and facts.

Some of the tools so far created are iCow, infonet BioVision, Natural Farmer Info Service and iKilimo. Some of these apps have got international recognition while giving farmers a fall-back position.

Last week, Kenya hosted Africa’s first ever agri-tech conference in Nairobi, where experts, policy makers and investors presented a new plan for taking the continent to a new lucrative window in farming business.

While the government said serving more than 2,000 farmers by a single extension officer was a challenge, a new crop of farmers has emerged from the sharp appetite for agriculture in graduates and entrepreneurs who are using the latest technologies to create jobs and book themselves a steady source of income.

“We are glad that Kenya hosted the conference this year, this move will play a significant role in boosting the use of technology in farming,” said Sicily Kariuki, the Agriculture principal secretary.

She told the conference that the ‘E-extension’ project is aimed at enhancing the capacity of the extension officers. Traditionally, they were the farmers’ guests who would visit on a fact-finding mission to encourage the farmers, train them, and treat livestock, sometimes at no cost.

The PS said the innovation is a simple technology through farmers can access information on phone with limited training and having the right app.

Thanks to fast phones penetration, farmers have been able to bargain for the right prices, managing to go past middlemen known to buy from them at throw-away prices.

Radeecal Communications who organised the Nairobi conference said Kenyan farmers would benefit from modern technologies that were exhibited during the three-day conference.

Sanyal Desai, the chief executive of Radeeal, said the interest of the companies that exhibited during the event was to partner with the government and growers to boosting productivity through the use of technology.

“We want to enhance technology transfer in the agriculture sector in order to benefit more farmers,” said Mr Desai. Several firms in the country have embraced e-farming technology that enables them to get market prices and metrological reports on their phones.

The conference brought together leading institutions around the globe, who showcased their innovations in equipment and services.

The success of young people, who are now engaging in agriculture, has been attributed to technology because they are well placed to use devices like their mobile phones to access latest data on produce prices, and avoid middlemen.

Ms Mary Kamau, the director of extension and training at the Ministry of Agriculture, noted that the youth have become the greatest beneficiaries of technology, urging them to come up more innovative ideas.

“Young people have become the main beneficiaries of the new technology and they have played a significant role in contributing to the high productivity in the country,” said Ms Kamau.

She pointed out that at the moment, growers are in a position to get information, unlike in the past when they would wait for extension officers to visit their farms.

“Information dissemination to farmers since Independence to mid-80s was the prerogative of the government through extension officers, but so far, things are no longer the same” she said.

The introduction of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), says Ms Kamau, changed the status-quo.

The reforms that were spearheaded by these Bretton Woods institutions led to the liberalisation of the agriculture sector, reducing the government role.

Previous agri-tech conferences were held in India and Israel. The Nairobi event was held in two sessions of presentations and exhibitions at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.