How ICT is modernising agriculture

DAR ES SALAAM: INFORMATION Technology and Communications Technology (ICT) remains one of the leading factors for the development of agriculture in the country.

In the course, ICT has midwifed terrific technologies that have rewritten the agricultural sector in its entirety and in turn now utilised by farmers and other agricultural stakeholders to grow the industry.

This aligns with ICT being listed as one of the key areas for the 2024/25 budget by Minister of Finance, Mwingulu Nchemba.

It nurtures the growth of all developmental sectors including agriculture.

Technology advancements and research that support the sector’s growth, have enabled farmers to explore different innovative solutions that pave the way to the increase of quality production of both food and commercial crops as well as their income.

Through new technologies in the current digital era, telecoms including Airtel Tanzania have to continuously establish new means to ensure that farmers can also benefit from the evolvement of the digital world.

Mobile phones have been turned into personal platforms that farmers can explore to access information on agriculture and other things that can assist them in growing their productivity.

Some years ago, poor mobile penetration in rural Tanzania contributed to the challenge of bridging the digital connectivity between urban and rural areas across the country, however, that is no longer a challenge due to the new developments by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of ICT and telecommunications stakeholders.

During the submission of the 2024/25 budget in May this year, the Ministry of ICT reported that the number of registered SIM cards surged from 63.5 million in April 2023 to 72.5 million in April this year, hinting at a rise of 16 per cent.

The Ministry also detailed that users of mobile money transactions increased from 44.3 million in April last year to 55 million in April 2024 which is equal to a 16.6 per cent increase.

The ministry further detailed that Internet users increased to 36 million in April this year from 33 million recorded in April last year, showing an 11.2 per cent increase.

The fast proliferation of mobile devices in rural Tanzania has tremendously contributed to bridging the communication gap between urban and rural areas.

The increasing investments in the telecommunication sector and service providers have hugely assisted the government to address this problem and ensure communication access is efficiently available.

This milestone has also intensified efforts to ensure the development of other social services including health, education, water supply and electricity.

Penetration of mobile communication has added value to agricultural-related activities and curved a path for research activities, the development of innovative solutions to address the sector’s challenges and the expansion of market outreach.

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Alongside The Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF), Airtel Tanzania launched communication towers in villages situated in Kigoma and Geita regions and that would pave the way for the villagers to efficiently access social services and financial services that will cater to their needs.

According to data from GeoPoll, Tanzania has experienced significant growth in mobile money usage, revolutionising how people conduct transactions throughout the country all thanks to the rapid mobile communication catalysed by MNOs and their mobile financial services in underserved areas.

In contrast, according to FinScope Tanzania 2023 report, mobile money adoption increased from 60 per cent in 2017 to 72 per cent in 2023.

This data shows that the penetration of 3G and 4G networks by MNOs like Airtel Tanzania allows farmers, livestock keepers and fishermen to gain access to information on market trends that enable them to have more flexibility to engage the market, determine the best prices and seek tools for boosting their productivity and competitiveness.

We can now collectively serve underserved areas across the country where mobile penetration has been a challenge for decades.

These are places where most farmers are based. This is achievable through device financing initiatives that enable the public to access mobile devices and financial services.

According to Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority’s (TCRA) Communications Statistical Report for the quarter ending June 2024, Airtel had a total of 11,028,579 sim card subscriptions recorded at the end of June; whereas 53 per cent of the subscriptions were in rural areas totalling 5,867,647 sim cards which are six per cent higher compared to urban areas standing at 47 per cent making a total of 5,160,932 sim card in the period under review.

This reflects the significant leap in mobile penetration over time in rural areas designating that villages are now picking up in terms of connectivity while narrowing the gaps to financial inclusion to youth and women who occupy the largest population segment that is actively engaged in agriculture, fishing and livestock keeping.

This calls for more consistent and deliberate implementation of efforts that will empower farmers to further benefit from technological advancement.

During this festive season, it is important to keep the farmers, fishermen and livestock keepers on top of mind to advance solutions that will ensure the sector’s objectives are attained to achieve sustainable development for the sector and the national economy as a whole.

• The writer is the Head of SME and Enterprise at Airtel Money Tanzania.