100 Young innovators to tackle agribusiness challenges

The Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) in Nakawa is hosting the "Agri-Tech Hackathon 2024," a three-day competition bringing together 100 young innovators from various universities to design digital tools that will address critical challenges within Uganda's agricultural sector.

Themed "Utilizing Industry 4.0 Technologies to address the challenges confronting sustainable Agriculture in Uganda," the hackathon was inaugurated by State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Ms Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo on Friday.

Ms Ssebugwawo highlighted the potential of these innovations to provide long-term solutions for agricultural challenges. 

“We must acknowledge the persistent challenges that have hindered our progress like limited access to markets for agricultural products and gaps in technology infrastructure which continue to pose obstacles to our development efforts,” Ms Ssebugwawo said.

She emphasised the alignment of the hackathon with Uganda's National Development Plan III (NDP III), which prioritizes industrialization to accelerate economic goals. Ms. Ssebugwawo pointed out agriculture's potential for job creation, with projections of growth in the sector's contribution to GDP (from 3.8% to 5.1%) and a decrease in youth unemployment (from 13.3% to 6.6%).

The minister encouraged participants to share their acquired knowledge with colleagues who couldn't attend. "Be ambassadors for this initiative," she urged.

Mr Gastervas Rutwara, UICT's Coordinator of Research and Innovations, clarified that while 250 students initially expressed interest, a rigorous selection process narrowed it down to 100. He explained the formation of four-person teams, with each member possessing expertise in at least one of the following areas: business, agriculture, or artificial intelligence. 

“They are going to be divided into groups of four individuals and each participant must have some knowledge on at least one of the areas,” Mr Rutwara said.

The upcoming days will see these innovators burning the midnight oil, brainstorming ideas, and developing their digital tools. The competition culminates on Sunday with the selection of the top four innovations.

To incentivize participation, Mr Rutwara announced a prize pool of approximately UGX 20 million for the winning teams. Additionally, mentorship opportunities will be provided. A team of experts from various fields will assist in refining and implementing the most promising ideas.

The hackathon tackles challenges in four key agricultural areas: soil health, inputs (seeds and fertilizers), value chain issues (logistics and post-harvest handling), and water management.

This initiative marks a first for UICT, with plans to make the Agri-Tech Hackathon an annual event. 

Mr Fredrick Kitoogo, UICT's Principal, emphasized the institute's commitment to bridging the gap between agriculture and technology. Pre-hackathon activities equipped participants with the necessary knowledge for the competition.

“We had pre-hackathon activities taking the participants through what they will be designing,” he said.