Improving access to agricultural information to small scale farmers using ICT systems in Central Uganda

Small scale holder farmers in rural areas growing ginger (Zingiber officinale) face challenge in accessing information on ginger production from pre-harvest to post-harvest stage, yet the information is needed to help farmers understand and adopt best agricultural practices on crop selection, input management, land selection and preparation, finance, transportation, packaging processing, and marketing of the agricultural produce. A web based system is proposed to provide such information. Nearly 80% of smallholder farmers growing ginger in Uganda have limited access to latest technology on agricultural inputs, have low awareness about farming best practices, and weak links across the agricultural value chain. Furthermore, severe climatic conditions often lead to crop failure when fanners are not able to take preemptive steps due to lack of weather cast information. A mobile application as well as web portal will be developed to help rural farmers through their organized groups or associations receive the latest agricultural information on critical inputs, crop selection, input management, land selection and preparation, pesticides, finance, transportation, packaging processing, and marketing of their product (ginger). The application will allow farmers upload images /videos for marketing their product on both local and international markets, show locations (CPS) to enable farmers and their products be located and allow farmers ask questions in English and Luganda ( Local language in Buganda region in Uganda) and provide many other functionalities.