Kenyan farmers tap apps to ride out Covid-19 and climate storm

A file photo of a farm worker in Kenya. In Africa, experts say agricultural technology – or agri-tech – like DigiFarm is increasingly playing a crucial role in cushioning small-scale farmers against the crop-damaging effects of climate change and the economic pain of the pandemic. — AFP

KOIYET VILLAGE, Kenya: Over the past year, Wilson Lang’at has made a steady profit from his farm in Koiyet village, managing to get the seeds and fertiliser he needs, planning ahead for droughts and floods, and borrowing money to diversify his crops – all through his phone.

His experience is not the norm, as most farmers across Kenya have struggled with the double hit of extreme weather shrinking their yields and coronavirus lockdowns and curfews choking off access to supplies and demand for their produce.