NAIROBI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- African countries must harness information and communication technology (ICT) to modernize the agriculture sector and enhance its contribution to economic growth, experts said on Friday during the sixth Africa Green Revolution Forum in Nairobi.
The experts said at a side event that transformation of farming in Africa hinges on higher uptake of digital platforms by smallholders to boost access to information on agronomic practices and markets.
Benedict Kanu, the lead agricultural expert at the African Development Bank noted that ICT will revolutionize food production systems in Africa in the face of constraints linked to climate change, outdated policies and disjointed value chains.
"The next phase of green revolution in Africa will be largely driven by ICT innovations to ensure smallholders have access to timely information on weather, farm inputs and markets," Kanu said.
He urged African governments to enact robust policies and legislation to facilitate adoption of digital platforms at the smallholder level.
The digital revolution that has been witnessed in many African countries has unleashed immense benefits to strategic sectors of the economy like agriculture, retail and transport.
Kanu noted that ICT has boosted efficiency in food production while increasing the bargaining power of African smallholders.
"Small scale farmers in this continent are currently using mobile applications to obtain accurate information on the next planting season. They can access market information on smart phones without relying on exploitative middle men," said Kanu.
He added that big data will offer durable solutions to challenges facing African smallholders including crop pests, diseases and market volatility.
The CEO of Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions Ishmael Sunga emphasized that policy and funding incentives were crucial to scale up adoption of ICT at smallholder level.
"Greater application of ICT in farming will eliminate inefficiencies, save cost and improve smallholders' income," Sunga remarked.
Digital platforms have not only modernized agriculture sector in Africa but have also made it attractive to the youth.
Juliana Rotich, a Kenyan ICT specialist noted that young African farmers are using mobile applications to access information on certified seeds, weather and markets.
