Strengthening Extension Through Digital Tools

In Africa, digital tools for agriculture are often more farmer-oriented. Existing mobile apps provide market location and price information, connections to farming equipment, weather predictions, soil maps, pest management and crowdsourced answers to technical questions. Farmers benefit from these approaches, yet information and communication technologies (ICTs) also have the power to contribute more to agricultural extension planning when frontline extension workers are equipped with these digital tools.

AgReach recognizes that digital tools can play a strategic role in extension strengthening, equipping public extension systems with the ability to validate data and streamline reporting. As such, AgReach has developed the Extension Helper App (EHA) a digital package including an app-based data collection tool for frontline extension workers paired with a web-based dashboard for their superiors to see and manage field data, oversee worker productivity, manage resources, view farmer data trends and support decision-making. Read more on Agrilinks.