A new pilot project for farmers using SMS has been started in Mayuge District by Applab (Application laboratory) with the assistance from MTN Uganda, Google and the CELAC project being the content provider.
Under this project, farmers using this service in this area no-longer have to go for expensive drugs and other farm inputs for their animals or plants. All they have to do to send an SMS through selected SPOs (Shared Phone Operators) who are located in areas like Musita trading centre,Lukone,Namagera,Ntinkalu,Lugolole, Mayuge Town,Nondwe trading centre,Bwalula trading centre,Bugoto landing site,Bulanga,Busiiro and BROSDI centre at Wainah.
When I interviewed one of the SPOs Walwana Mathias of BROSDI Wainah, this is what he had to say about the way this project works and how it has helped the farmers in his area,‘ when a farmer comes for example with a farming problem like how to control tomato pests, I type this information onto my phone and then send to a direct number 6006.Within three or more minutes I get a feed-back which I read to the farmer or let him read by himself that is if he/ she can.An example a farmer may ask how banana wilt can be controlled ,he may get an answer like; ferment human urine for two weeks, add water at a ratio of 1:2,add mashed cabbage leaves, then spray.
Mathias went on to say, that farmers can also know the weather forecast of a particular area for example if a farmer wants to know the weather forecast for Mayuge, I just type in my phone w. Mayuge send it to given number and I will get the feed back which I give to the farmer said Mathias.
Since the services are free and the information received is working out he continues, farmers no longer have the burden of looking for much money to buy the very expensive farm inputs and this in return has helped so much in improving their incomes and livelihoods. The project is to be launched officially this year.
One Mr. Olunda a farmer from Bugodi who is using this service when asked how this project has been useful to him had this to say “this project has been very useful because I no-longer have to spend money to buy most of my farm in-puts since all the feed-back information I get, that is the cure, disease control e.t.c I get just within my surrounding and locally.
Bravo, Applab Uganda, bravo CELAC for all the Agricultural data collection and all the staff
By Thomas Waisswa
Posted by celac 