Agriculture rights advocates are optimistic that the promotion of digital transformation will enable the transformation of farmers.
The project manager at the Agri-business Development Centre, Mr. Ronald Ssekajja says, as internet access improves around the country, it is becoming clear that digital innovations can enable farmers in low- and middle-income countries, Uganda inclusive to connect to markets and financial institutions, access timely weather and market information to manage risks, and start businesses through various e-commerce platforms.
He made the remarks while officiating at the launch of Learning Agri-business Development Hub center in Kampala which has been set up to train farmers in various skills.
He said, bridging the digital divide by attracting rural communities to participate fully in the digital economy is essential and must be supported through the implementation of the policies which are supposed to support the digital transformation.
He said, in Uganda, the agriculture sector is the least digitalized sector in the country, and it is where technology innovation and mechanization have been also least developed despite the fact that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is among the country’s fastest growing sectors, contributing an estimated 8.7% to Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) and recording annual growth rates of up to 20%.
