Experts tip farmers on digital extension systems

Agricultural experts have urged famers to embrace digital extension systems to boost their productivity and expand their value chain.

Speaking to the media during the engagement meeting with farmers and experts, Africa Forum for Agriculture Advisory Service (AFAAS) Executive Director Dr Silim Naadhy said digital systems will improve farming.

“All stakeholders need financial services, value chain analysis, and growth in production and this can only be achieved when farmers have embraced digital,” he said.

“We have the right software to get all the information we need regarding agriculture, and the only missing gap is for farmers to have smart phones and access the information available on different platforms,” he says

According to him, digital systems would provide with critical information including on available markets and credit services.

Peter Owollo, the Director of Asakawalo Enterprise said digitising extension systems avails new approaches to marketing items such as soursop juice.

“Currently the supply of soursop in Uganda is still very low. We cannot meet the demand but with the introduction of digital systems, we hope that the supply will increase thus expanding our productivity,” he says

He suggested that digital extension should consider grassroot farmers since they need a lot of information.

About soursop farming on

Owollo noted that to benefit from soursop farming, one can start with an acre with 200 trees. According to him, each tree can give you 20 kilograms in a year.

“Then we are currently purchasing a kilogram of soursop at Shs1, 500 but this is going to increase with time. So if you multiply, you find in one acre, you get some good money in every year,” he says 

He decried low productivity, noting that it affects the business during the off season.

Meanwhile, Christopher Wali Magala, the Mukono District Sesakawa African Union Coordinator urged a survey before full scale implementation of digital extension systems.

“It’s not all about the product but the people who are going to consume the product at any stage,” he suggested.

According to government data, majority Ugandans survive on Agriculture.