Embrace ICTs in agriculture to improve the lives of farmers

Every other time one hears of the endless challenges plaguing the agriculture sector in the country, and the continent in general. If it is not about farmers complaining about being cheated by middlemen, it is lack of market for their produce. The list can go on and on.Using information communication technologies (ICTs) can go a long way in solving these challenges, if farmers are supported to acquire the necessary tools.Already, initiatives like e-Soko and e-farm have demonstrated that ICTs can empower people, putting them in charge of their situations.ICT solutions like e-farm help farmers calculate the amount of fertilisers to apply on a given acreage of land.Often, farmers get miserable harvests not because they are lazy, but due to the fact that they might have applied inadequate fertilizers, and sometimes at the wrong time.But tools like e-farm can help in these issues.As such there is need for more support from all stakeholders so that more farmers and agro-dealers can employ ICTs. Thanks to ICT tools, the days of fake agro-dealers are slowly but surely coming to an end as a new innovation can help farmer detect counterfeit inputs on their handsets. Another solution, e-Market can help farmers trade without having to rely on cheating middlemen.All these ICT enablers can truly empower the farmer.However, the big question is about access.This is where government comes in to play the role of conveyor belt so that farmers are able to get these tools and learn how to use them to enhance their operations.In Rwanda, bodies like the National Agricultural Board and the Rwanda Development Board should take keen interest in these innovations to help farmers improve their farming methods as well as earn decently from their sweat.It also calls for creativity on the side of farmers and other stakeholders to make these solutions work to the benefit of the sector in general.

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Embrace ICTs in agriculture to improve the lives of farmers