12 °c
London
Sunday, June 26, 2022
No Result
View All Result
FurtherAfrica
  • Countries
    • Angola
    • Botswana
    • Cape Verde
    • DRC
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About
FurtherAfrica
  • Countries
    • Angola
    • Botswana
    • Cape Verde
    • DRC
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About
No Result
View All Result
FurtherAfrica
No Result
View All Result
Home Africa

Digital farming platform awards farmers for increased output

FurtherAfrica by FurtherAfrica
December 17, 2018
in Africa, Agriculture, Economy, Farming, Food, Kenya, Tech
Reading Time: 3 mins read
833 8
0
Digital farming platform awards farmers for increased output
Share via QRWhatsappShare on FacebookShare on TwitterLinkedInPinteresteMail

A maize farmer from Siaya Kenya, Bonfese Wanjala, who was just about to abandon his loss-making venture eight months ago, has been named as Wefarm’s champion farmer in the country.

The farmer, according to Wefarm, increased his output 35-fold and led the way in raising the productivity of his fellow farmers on the network. Wefarm, which provides more than a million East African smallholders with a digital platform for share farming knowhow, has launched the monthly Champion Farmer initiative to reward farmers who are individually driving forwards Kenya’s agricultural productivity through information sharing.
Bonfese, who has won Sh10,000 of farm inputs as well as his Champion Farmer title, learnt first-hand of the difference other farmers’ information could make in lifting productivity after he joined the Wefarm platform in March this year.

At the time, he was close to giving up farming: “Production costs accrued to between Sh18,000 ($180) and Sh25,000 ($250). However, after a whole season. I would end up harvesting one or two bags of 60kg maize that I would sell at between Sh20 – Sh50 per kg.” he said.
He also hesitated about joining the Wefarm platform, thinking he would be charged as he was with other farmer SMS platforms, but he later realized it was free.

That was his turning point, with the knowledge he then gained from posting questions to other farmers rapidly transforming his yields, into a harvest of 35 60kg bags of maize in one season from his one acre.

“Interacting with other farmers through Wefarm helped me learn how to till land during the rainy seasons; that Pioneer seeds are best suited for short rains season, while H614 and H612 seeds are best used during the long rains season; how to prevent Fall Armyworm pest and Stringa weed from invading my crops, and when to use solid and liquid fertilisers,” said Bonfese.
The change was so dramatic that Bonfese readily engaged with the Wefarm Champion Farmer challenge when it turned to maize farming, as the new theme chosen based on trending issues and crop seasonality.

The kind of help he offered included advising one farmer who lived a long way from a water source that the best fertilizer to use was organic foliar, because it comes in liquid form that makes its absorption faster than synthetic fertilizer, which is solid and requires a lot of water for absorption.
“Farmers are often the best and most relevant source of information and experience for their fellow farmers. It is for this reason that we have invested so heavily in creating a platform to facilitate cross sharing, through Wefarm and the Champion Farmer initiative,” said Kenny Ewan, CEO Wefarm. In fact, Bonfese’s contribution brought in more new farmers and the highest levels of engagement of any of the participating maize farming contributors.

Moreover, his win comes as the industry has suffered a concerted flight by farmers, on losses, crop pests and diseases, lack of storage and poor markets. Last year, maize production in Kenya dropped by 32 per cent, from five million bags in 2016 to 3.7 million in 2017, due to crop infestations and diseases.

“Transforming output across our staple crop with farming knowhow is actually a national contribution when our crops are plummeting on agricultural and market challenges, which is why we have moved to recognize farmers such as Bonfese, who are emerging as game changers,” said Kenny.

Wefarm awarded Bonfese the inputs of his choice, which were fertilizer, a solar system, two hoes and a machete, as well as a fully paid trip to attend one of Wefarm’s weekly radio talk shows to speak on raising maize yields in the face of so many current challenges.
His win was the second in the Wefarm competition, with Andrew Biwott, a tomato farmer from Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet, the first to win in the tomatoes competition. Wefarm’s goal is to run the initiative every month in driving the country’s agricultural output ever higher.

Wefarm, the world’s largest farmer-to-farmer digital network, lets small-scale farmers connect with one another to solve problems, share ideas, and spread innovation. Utilising the latest machine learning technology, Wefarm’s service works both online and over SMS. Knowledge shared on Wefarm can help farmers produce higher quality product, increase yields, gain insight into pricing, tackle the effects of climate change, diversify agricultural interests, and source the best seeds, fertilisers, and loans.

Since its founding in 2015, Wefarm has been named one of Africa’s Most Innovative companies by Fast Company and has won Google’s Impact Challenge Award, TechCrunch’s Europas Tech for Good Award, and the European Union Commission’s Ideas from Europe prize, among others. The company is headquartered in London with offices in Nairobi and Kampala. Wefarm is backed by True Ventures, LocalGlobe and Accelerated Digital Ventures and the Norrsken Foundation.

Source: The Exchange

Related

Tags: Accelerated Digital VenturesagricultureBonfeseBonfese WanjalaElgeyo MarakwetFarmingFeatureItenKenyaLocalGlobemaizeNorrsken FoundationSiaya KenyatechnologyTrue VenturesWefarmкенияكينياケニア肯尼亚
ScanSendShare336Tweet210Share59Pin76Send
FurtherAfrica

FurtherAfrica

Founded in 2015 FurtherAfrica is an online platform centralising news and content focusing on the development and growth story of the African continent.

Related Posts

Angola TAAG to open Luanda-Madrid route
Travel

Angola TAAG to open Luanda-Madrid route

by FurtherAfrica
June 26, 2022
Economy

Zimbabwe plans triple-digit interest rate hike to tame inflation

by FurtherAfrica
June 26, 2022
Economy

World Bank forecast Mozambique average growth at 5.7% in 2022-2024

by FurtherAfrica
June 26, 2022
Travel

9 fun places in Nigeria for a perfect family takeout

by See Africa Today
June 26, 2022
Spotify takes big dive into Africa
Music

Spotify and COLORS collaborate to promote Nigeria musical talent

by BOTSWANA UNPLUGGED
June 26, 2022
Angola Oil & Gas 2022
 
AFSIC 2022
 
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park
 
MozParks

Translate this page

Read the Latest

Angola TAAG to open Luanda-Madrid route
Travel

Angola TAAG to open Luanda-Madrid route

by FurtherAfrica
June 26, 2022
0

Direct flights between Luanda and Madrid, operated by the Angolan airline TAAG, start Monday (27), representing an added value for...

Read more

Zimbabwe plans triple-digit interest rate hike to tame inflation

June 26, 2022

World Bank forecast Mozambique average growth at 5.7% in 2022-2024

June 26, 2022

9 fun places in Nigeria for a perfect family takeout

June 26, 2022
Spotify takes big dive into Africa

Spotify and COLORS collaborate to promote Nigeria musical talent

June 26, 2022

FurtherAfrica Partners Network

The Exchange Club of Mozambique Taarifa Rwanda
TechGist Africa Africa Oil & Power Farmers Review Africa
Tanzania Invest Zambia Invest See Africa Today
Africa Global Funds Novafrica CrudeMix Africa
Harambee Africa Botswana unplugged Financial Insights Zambia
Digilogic Africa Web3Africa

Subscribe to FurtherAfrica

Enter your email address to receive new articles on your email.

Join 73,051 other subscribers.

FurtherAfrica

© 2021 FurtherMarkets

FurtherAfrica is a FurtherMarkets Limited platform

  • Countries
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Countries
    • Angola
    • Botswana
    • Cape Verde
    • DRC
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About

© 2021 FurtherMarkets

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
 

Loading Comments...