Beyond all the tech buzz, Agri-tech solutions in Africa are the next big thing.
Think about it, 60% of the world’s arable but uncultivated land is in Africa. And 35% of Africa’s GDP comes from Agriculture.
In Nigeria, Agriculture still contributes the highest to GDP. So, if there is anything that would move the needle in the Agricultural sector, then we need to pay attention to it.
One of the best ways to maximize our agricultural output is to embark on a large-scale Agir-tech transformation in Africa. By this, we mean providing digital tools for African farming so that Africans can run profitable Agricultural businesses.
These tools would help farmers, breeders, sellers, and logistics companies save more money, time, and increase profitability.
Some audactious companies have started the process of African agriculture innovation, and we have highlighted some in this article.
1. Agri-Tech Solutions in Africa that Help Farmers Make Smarter Decisions
A farmer working in the bush in a rural area, cut off from the rest of the world, is unlikely to have access to agricultural experts. This means the farmer is limited to only local knowledge and methods. Many of these methods are archaic, labor-intensive, and difficult to scale.
But with platforms like AgriPredict and FarmCrowdy, farmers now have access to weather forecasts, market prices, diagnostics, and advisory support via smartphones, SMS, and even USSD!
With these tools, they can know the right time to plant, what the market prices are saying, so they are not underpaid, and diagnose diseases in time, preventing loss of produce and money.
2. Agri-Tech Solutions that Boost Crop Monitoring
Monitoring farm produce is a laborious process, and many times farmers have to spend hours manually checking and inspecting the crops. Of course, this is virtually impossible on a large scale.
But with drone and satellite imaging, farmers can scan acres of land in minutes, while analyzing soil conditions, detecting unhealthy plants even before the farmer can physically see any signs of damage.
3. Farming Technology in Africa that Connects Farmers to Buyers
E-commerce platforms for agriculture are springing up across the continent. Agromall in Nigeria and Twiga Foods in Kenya are good examples. These platforms connect buyers to sellers, eliminating middlemen who usually underprice farmers and overcharge the buyers.
They also offer logistic services, swift digital payments, and inventory management, so that farmers can sell fast, reduce their post-harvest losses, prevent scarcity, and help buyers get their products in fresh condition.
4. Agri-Tech Solutions that Provide Digital Financing and Insurance
Agricultural investments are risky. Something can go wrong with the crops or animals. A new virus strain can spread, farms can be razed to the ground, and even herdsmen can destroy a plantation in one day.
In the past, many farmers had to endure these harsh conditions on their own. But platforms like Pula are beginning to step in to automate insurance payout for farmers when crop failure occurs. Financial institutions are also stepping in to provide loans to farmers based on their history of production, and also allow farmers to buy tools and pay later.
This is a major initiative because cash has always been a limiting factor to how much farmers can produce in Africa. As these agritech solutions solve this, they are paving the way for increased crop production, more sales, and higher profit margins for the farmers, which would in turn result in a higher GDP for Africa.
Why Agri-Tech Solutions in Africa Still Struggle?
With all the amazing things we have said about agri-tech solutions in Africa, why is there low adoption? A study by McKinsey shows that while there are above 400 digital agriculture tools currently in use in sub-Saharan Africa, less than 30% of registered farmers are actually actively using these tools.
It clearly shows there is a gap between innovation and impact… so what can we do to fix this?
1. Tools Must Solve Real Problems and Create Measurable Value for Farmers
Generally, farmers care about three most important things: Increased production/output, Higher income, and reduced waste.
Every farmer across any continent, no matter the race, understands these three things. And when you can solve these problems for them, they will use your tool!
2. Don’t Eliminate Human Interaction
Many farmers would still want to have some form of interaction with people. While AI assistance is trending, farmers still want to connect and speak to people who understand them. That means on-ground extension support is still very crucial for farmers
3. The Government Needs to Create an Enabling Environment
An enabling environment is not just about signing documents or social media posts. It means they must create infrastructure for capturing data. There should be farmer registries and also subsidy systems in place so people can start businesses with lower risks and at lower costs.
Rwanda, for instance, registered 1.5 million farmers, so they can have access to financing and subsidies. Nigeria has Esoko, which uses SMS to update farmers with real-time market pricing information.
Without data about phone numbers, names, and locations, these would not be possible. So data infrastructure is very important.
More Examples Of How Digital Tools Are Transforming Farming in Africa with Governmental Backing
| Goal | Digital Tool | Real-World Example |
| Increase farmer income | E-extension and advisory platforms | Kenya: Arifu + Syngenta partnership |
| Improve market access | Market price information systems | Nigeria: Esoko SMS service |
| Reduce crop losses | Early-warning weather systems | Ghana: Ignitia forecasting alerts |
| Improve national food security | Digital food balance sheet | Kenya: National digital FBS system |
| Enable scale | Farmer registries and digital data platforms | Rwanda: 1.5M farmers digitally registered |
Source: How digital tools can help transform African agri-food systems by McKinsey&Company
These are real-world examples that show the possibilities when government works with the private sector to solve real problems in the Agricultural sector.
In conclusion, Agritech Solutions in Africa are beyond shiny new tools and fancy names. They are functional, solving real problems and creating practical solutions to the problems that have plagued African agriculture for centuries.
While there is still some work to be done, farming technology in Africa is on the rise, and once we are able to solve the problems of adoption, scale, and financing, there is no limit to how far the continent can go.
