Profiting Using Technology

By Sally Mulambya

Agriculture in Africa has enormous potential not only to feed, eliminate hunger and food insecurity but also to become a major player in the global markets, boost intra-trade and most importantly promote job creation.

According to the World Bank sub-Saharan Africa holds more than 50 percent of fertile, usable and uncultivated agricultural land.  

Unfortunately many in Zambia regard agriculture as a poor mans’ job with most opting for white collar jobs hardly considering the benefits of venturing into Agribusiness.

However, this perceptionseems to be changing with the coming in of the internet of things (IOT) people arequickly realizing the benefits of agribusiness from the experiences beingshared across platforms.

With new technologiesfarmers across the country are connecting and communicating through socialnetworks like community groups on Facebook or whatsapp and all this is done bythe use of mobile phones.

Rabecca Chibwe is anentrepreneur that sales horticulture farm produce as a source of income and isunder the PELUM women’s group in Chipata District, she believes that women mustbe at the center of any effort to promote sustainable agriculture andlivelihood.

She testifies that from the time she joined the digital platforms it has greatly benefited her including learning new farming techniques to being able to sell her farm produce and knowing what medicine to administer to her chickens and pigs.

“I have been able to not only sell some of my produce but also learn quiet a lot from the platform, I joined an all-farmer’s village banking group using the platform, we meet every first week of the month and share our servings with interest and through this I have been able to purchase a smoking machine,” she said.

Currently she has been profiting from the sell of ginger and garlic in particular which are fetching good prices as they are currently on high demand since the outbreak of Covid19.

Mrs. Chibwe advised that Agricultural extension has to be ramped up to ensure farmers know about these technologies and how to use them, take it to the grass root levels and meet farmers where they are.

“Agriculture requires diversification, just because you have failed at one crop does not mean you are going to fail at another, the markets are widening it’s important that farmers use this opportunity to raise income and invest, nothing comes on a silver platter,” she happily laments.

She stated that people need to realize that there is a ready market and high demand for agricultural produce, and because of its’ growing demand agribusiness should be considered as one of the best business opportunities as food markets are ever operating.

“There is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs to supply and make income on locally grown alternative foods that the country imports, that small vegetable farm could be a big business it just takes determination and hard work they just need to take advantage of the latest technologies,” she said.

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