New toll-free SMS platform developed to link farmers with agricultural extension workers across the country
World Vision Uganda partners with Makerere University's Agricultural Innovations Systems Brokerage Association (AGINSBA), to develop a toll-free SMS platform that links farmers with agricultural extension workers. The platform, dubbed 'M-Omulimisa' will enable farmers to send and receive free SMS inquiries to extension workers, using a toll-free short cord- 8228.
Under this partnership, World Vision and AGINSBA are to train and facilitate agricultural extension workers in every region of Uganda on how to operate this new technology. Farmers too will be trained on how to use this SMS and web-based platform.
The platform will not only enable farmers to send and recieve free SMS inquiries but will also provide key contacts for particular extension workers who are experts on various extension services. Farmers will also under this new platform be empowered to venture into agro-insurance.
Extension workers are government-recruited experts who advise farmers on how to improve their agricultural practices by checking crop failures, livestock diseases, pests and vectors. They are also supposed to provide agricultural statistics, regulatory services, agricultural planning and quality assurance for food security.
But due to insufficient funding, the ratio of extension workers to farmers in Uganda is at 1:5000 as oppossed to the global benchmark of 1:500. This thus means not all farmers in Uganda are able to directly reach an extension worker for professional guidance and assistance.
This new platform will thus help to bridge the gap between farmers and extension workers by creating an avenue where the two can interact and share ideas without meeting face-to-face. Every region will have its own extension workers trained and facilitated to respond to inquiries using common local dialects. Farmers will thus not be required to use English as the platform has been designed to operate in local dialects.
How to use the platform:
The platform is both SMS and web-based. Extension workers will have resource centers where inquiries are received and responded to in not more than 24 hours. Each region will have language specific key words for the platform. Forinstance, Central region will use 'Mulimisa' which locally trasnlates into 'extension worker'.
To register, farmers in central region will type;
'Mulimisa - District name - Subcounty- Full names of the user' and then send to 8228.
The user will then receive an instant confirmation message guiding them on how to proceed with making inquiries. Farmers will be trained in various groups across the country on how to use this platform in their local languages.
Other benefits that come with this new innovation include free soil testing kits for various farming communities. Farmers will be trained in soil testing in order to understand best crop yields for particular soils.
Under its 2016-2020 strategy, World Vision Uganda seeks to improve livelihood resilience of 181,617 small-holder farmers, agro pastoralist house holds and youths, through approaching farming as a bussiness. During this period, World Vision will work towards improving food production, improving crop yields, support farmers to add value to their produce, improve household capacities to manage natural and man-made shocks, empower farmers with new skills and intergrate the saving culture among farmer groups.