The call came from the Green Without borders (GWB) CEO Andrew Egalla who said that farmers can greatly benefit if they utilize the mobile technology that will allow them to access the eGranary services.
eGranary is an electronic service by farmers and for farmers which uses USSD mobile technology. Its objective is to collect information on farmers bio-data, geographic location of farmers and their farms, type of crops they grow, the number of seeds they have planted in a particular season and the harvest they achieve per season.
“The eGranary service is an initiative by the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation Ltd (EAFF – www.eaffu.org) and we (GWB) are partnering to help farmers collectively collate information about their enterprise and their harvest every season to help EAFF look for a suitable market for them,” explained the CEO.
He added that the information is then used by the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and Green without borders to link directly potential buyers of their produce, get farmers production history for agricultural credit access, access to agricultural mechanization, E-extension, E–insurance, access to quality inputs at reasonable prices and to inform policy intervention at national and regional levels.
Egalla revealed that the service is already being utilized in 10 counties in Kenya among them Meru, Kisumu, Busia, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu with over 21 thousand farmers incorporated and they are reaping from it.
Farmers specializing in maize, rice, beans, soybeans, green grams and black eyed beans have been encouraged to register for the services by simply dialling *492#.
The service was initiated by EAFF a non-political, non-profit and a democratic organization of all farmers of Eastern Africa. With a role of voicing legitimate concerns and interests of farmers from the region with aim of enhancing regional cohesiveness and social-economic status of the farmers.
Green Without Borders is currently holding public lectures at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology on ICT in the agricultural value chain and eGranary innovation model targeting to inform the farmers.