Kenya’s IBM Research Africa has partnered with start-up, Hello Tractor to launch an online platform giving small-scale farmers information geared towards improving yields through proper crop husbandry.
IBM Research Africa Vice President Solomon Assefa said they envisioned setting up a trio-pronged intelligent mobile software platform that brings together banks, farmers and tractor providers with a view to enhancing yields while reducing the costs of farming.
IBM and Hello Tractor said their newly developed technologies, Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture, Blockchain and IoT that integrate independent functions enabling farmers to communicate with agro-dealers, banks and tractor owners from one platform will be piloted in Kenya next year.
“Our vision is to leverage on information technology to digitise agricultural business processes empowering farmers to know which seeds to use at specific locations, when to plough, weed and the kind of fertiliser best suited for their types of soil and crops,” said Dr Assefa.
IBM’s The Weather Company has also been incorporated into the app to help less experienced farmers know when to cultivate, what to plant and which fertiliser to use. IBM’s AgroPad technology which determines soil quality is also set for inclusion in the offering.
In their statement, made at this year’s Startup Battlefield Africa fete in Lagos, Nigeria, the two firms said they have partnered with tractor companies to fulfil farmer wishes.
“Through valued relationships with companies like John Deere, we have increased mechanisation access in smallholder communities and are adding predictive fleet utilisation and maintenance, operator and tractor scoring, financing and the crop yield forecasting services on the App,” said Hello Tractor founding-chief executive Jehiel Oliver.
The app seeks to help farmers predict crop yields with the information on individual farmers used to determine their credit score to facilitate farmers’ access to loans.
Tractor owners will also access information on quality of work done by their tractor operators from ploughing, deep ripping, harrowing and application of fertiliser. The information will also be accessed by banks enabling them to make informed decisions when dishing out agricultural loans to tractor owners.
"Tractor dealers can benefit from improved tractor repair and servicing, after sales support, spare parts inventory planning and credit administration,” said the statement.
IBM and Hello Tractor said tractor activity information can help governments plan incentives for such programmes.
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