Over 174,000 farmers in Uganda have recently acquired digital skills as part of an ongoing initiative to modernize agriculture in the country. This milestone was highlighted during the 30th annual National Agricultural Show in Jinja City, which runs until August 4, 2024.
Smallholder farmers, who represent about 89 percent of Uganda’s farming population and produce up to 80 percent of the country’s agricultural output, face considerable challenges. These challenges include limited access to modern equipment, technology, and digital resources. Such barriers can hinder their productivity and impact their contribution to the nation’s economic growth.
The Digital Economy Programme, a collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and Mastercard Inc., aims to address these issues by digitalizing last-mile communities in the agricultural sector. According to Programme Manager Fredrick Mpaata, the initiative began in 2022. Initially, it involved a small group of farmers interested in joining the Digital Economy. The programme then expanded through stakeholder awareness sessions across six sub-regions in partnership with the Uganda National Farmers’ Federation (UNFFE).
As of now, the programme supports around 174,000 farmers with various digital services. The current focus of this year’s National Agricultural Show is to showcase innovative solutions that farmers can incorporate into their practices. These solutions include tools for better productivity and access to crucial information such as weather forecasts, market prices, and best farming practices.
Data from the Innovation Village indicates a significant increase in outreach from 2022 to 2024. The number of smallholder farmers impacted by the Digital Programme grew from 7,206 to 174,491. Additionally, the outreach to youth aged 18 to 35 expanded from 7,206 to 95,712. The number of youths with disabilities reached 4,588, while the number of refugees increased from 3,622 in 2023 to 3,887 in 2024.
The Digital Economy Practice Lead at Innovation Village, Saul Weikama, highlighted partnerships with several tech companies, including Hamwe, MobiPay Agro-system Limited, and Service Corporate. These collaborations aim to enhance the digital infrastructure available to farmers.
Carol Kakooza, Chief Executive Officer at aXiom Zorn, an AgTech data service provider, emphasized the importance of integrating digital technologies. She noted that such integration helps farmers extend their reach beyond physical limits and build a robust credit score database to access financial services. Through the Digital Empowerment Platform, aXiom Zorn facilitates access to low-interest loans, certification for quality and safety, and suitable insurance policies to mitigate risks.
The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), Monica Musenero, shared that the STI Secretariat has been working on creating pathways for the ‘new economy’ over the past two years. This framework aims to include key sectors like agriculture, which significantly contribute to GDP, into the digital economy by leveraging science and technology.
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