Microsoft says it is committing to working with Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture through a platform that will digitize agriculture in Kenya.
Microsoft Kenya Acting Country Manager Kunle Awosika said the tech firm would continue investing in agritech on the continent to develop agritech that enables data-driven, precise, and connected farming that optimizes yields boosts farm productivity and increases profitability.
As part of this investment, a Microsoft team based in Kenya has developed an Agri chatbot, which provides extension and advisory services to smallholder farmers using feature phones or smartphones via SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
The AgriBot provides farmers with a tool to access all the relevant information from the Ministry of Agriculture and other government institutions and services from the private sector.
These services help over 400,000 farmers already on the platform who would otherwise not have access to such a resource.
Microsoft has co-created AgriBot
The global tech firm and AGRA co-created the AgriBot in 2019 as a digital solution for smallholder farmers’ localized extension and advisory services.
This new phase of the relationship seeks to accelerate digital innovation and technology as an enabler to connect the agriculture ecosystems, sustainably integrating stakeholders in the service of strategic value chains.
Agriculture is vital in the country’s economy, contributing 33% of the GDP and employing more than 40% of the total population.
According to Awosika, Microsoft is working through partnerships with the private sector and partners in government for maximum impact and benefit to the farmers of Africa,” he said.
ATO Coordinator, Agriculture Transformation Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives Thule Lenneiye, said through partnering with Microsoft, the Ministry can offer smallholder farmers valuable services that help them modernize and digitize age-old farming practices, increasing productivity and boosting food security for communities and Kenya.
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