New app to aid information sharing among farmers

Farmers in Kenya are poised to benefit from a new mobile platform that allows them to exchange information and draw lessons from their peers.

Referred to as uLima, the application seeks to address the information gap challenge, provide value-added services and products to farmers and agro-dealers and offer access to open and transparent markets.

“The paramount goal of this initiative is improved farmer yields,” says Job Oyoo, the Manager of the application.

In the application that is available to Apple iOS, Android and Windows, farmers can access finance, soil testing, land preparation, planting, crop protection and harvesting.

Also included are details on farm inputs like seeds, fertilisers, and chemicals besides harvesting, localised weather and marketing information.

“It is a wholesome ecosystem that would improve farmers’ livelihoods by turning farming into a business venture.”

According to Mr Oyoo, the app has also entered into partnerships with agriculture experts who offer technical skills and knowledge to farmers.

He said the application is free and friendly to farmers.

“We are also carrying out awareness campaigns to farmers to ensure that they are conversant with this technology that would certainly play a prime role in ensuring our country attains food stability in the long run,” he explained.

So far, Mr Oyoo says farmers in Rift Valley, Western, Central and Eastern have started using the technology that is expected to be fully rolled out in the country by mid this year.

By next year, he says the app would have been launched in other East African countries such as Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

“If we can convert agriculture into a lucrative venture especially to youths, then we would have tamed unemployment challenge in the region,” he said.