Heifer to train youths on digital agric initiative

Heifer International, a non-profit organisation, has unveiled its Digital Agriculture Champions (DAC) initiative to deliver sustainable and cost-effective training modules for smallholder farmers across Heifer Africa, starting with Kenya, a statement by the organisation indicated yesterday.

Senior vice president, Africa programmes, Adesuwa Ifedi, said, “The DAC initiative will foster the application of digital technology in agriculture, delivering solutions that address challenges faced by smallholder farmers.

“The idea for the Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa challenge was conceived by Heifer based on four decades of work as a trusted partner of African farmers - and seeing first-hand the stark difference between local farms that have access to new technologies and those that do not.”

Heifer is working with Kuza Biashara, a digital social enterprise, as technical partner, to offer a bundled solution that provides personalised digital training and extension services to smallholder farmers in Africa.

The partnership with Kuza is a product of Heifer International’s AYuTe Africa challenge - a competition that awards cash grants of up to $1.5m annually to the most promising young agri-technology innovators across Africa who are using technology to reimagine farming and food production in Africa.

Kuza’s founder, Sriram Bharatam, said, “We are a strong believer in the fact that one plus one is 11. When you bring tools to partners with a common, shared vision and values, you can create magic.”

He further said DAC would begin with an incubation programme for young entrepreneurs who would then each engage about 200 households in rural communities in agric mentorship.