Extension services to farmers now go digital

PHOTO | FILE Workers at the National Cereals and Produce Board, Eldoret depot offload maize delivered by farmers on January 23, 2014. Extension services to farmers is going digital and will be using the Internet.

What you need to know:

  • Through e-Extension, this is designed to bridge the shortage of extension officers and the need to offer farmers timely and accurate information.
  • Nation Media Group recently launched an agricultural pullout, Seeds of Gold, which has now become a hit with readers.

Extension services to farmers is going digital and will be using the Internet.

Through e-Extension, this is designed to bridge the shortage of extension officers and the need to offer farmers timely and accurate information.

Currently, the ratio of government extension officers to farmers is 1 to 1,200 against the expected ratio of 1:400 according to the director of extension services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mrs Mary Kamau.

The e-Extension platform will officially launched next week in Embu.

IMPROVE PRODUCTION
Farmers will receive agricultural information on the Internet so they can adopt better farming practices and improve production.

Mrs Kamau was addressing stakeholders agribusinesses, representatives from banks, media and the government during the launch of Smart Farmer Africa’s brand publications, Smart Farmer Magazine and Smart Farmer Flower edition.

Smart Farmer chief executive and editor-in-chief Bernadette Murgor said it was encouraging that agriculture was now getting the recognition it deserves especially from the media and the authorities.

SEEDS OF GOLD
Nation Media Group recently launched an agricultural pullout, Seeds of Gold, which has now become a hit with readers.