Mkulima today to have a profitable farm you not only need good seeds but also great skills and sometimes the use of technology. East and Central Africa’s most valuable company Safaricom Plc has come up with digifarm a platform that aims to support farms in their activities. Today together we ask and answer the question what is Safaricom’s digifarm?

What is safaricom’s digifarm

Digifarm is a platform launched by the largest and most valuable company in  East and Central Africa, Safaricom Plc. This shows the potential in the agribusiness field if large companies can create and operate viable products that are not related to their core business.

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It comes with seven features that will go a long way to ensure your farm is never the same again as it ensures more productivity and better earnings.

This is an integrated mobile platform that offers farmers convenient one-stop access to a variety of products.

From the digifarm platform as a farmer, you have access to great products like

  • Financial services
  • Credit services
  • Farm products and
  • Customized information.

Information is based on the best farming practices to help you boost your farm’s production.

Digifarm is one of the leading farming initiatives that focus on helping and supporting small-scale farmers, share information, and ease transactions.

Today the agribusiness industry faces several challenges from legislation, high farm inputs, access to markets, and cheap imports.

As a result of these several solutions have come up including digifarm, farm Kenya initiative among others in order to help farmers have the relevant skills and knowledge needed.

Vision

Digifarm’s vision is to make the smallholder farmers like yourself earn more from your farm by farming the same size of  land you normally do by addressing some of the key gaps in farming including but limited to

  • Information on best farming practices
  • Quality inputs
  • Access to financial services
  • Access to credit insurance
  • Access to markets

How digifarm works

The platform has been developed to work with mobile phones. So for you to benefit from the platform you will need to have a reliable mobile phone that you can depend on. What is Safaricom’s digifarm you might still wonder.

With the use of your phone dial the USSD code *283# and follow the prompts.

From the menu select the issues you would like to solve on your farm.

Features

Being that it was developed by one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world digifarm is relatively easy to use.

This is because it comes with a user-friendly interface and easy-to-follow steps. What is safaricom’s digifarm here are some of the benefits in the platform.

Some of the features that digifarm has include

`1. Self-registration

To register to digifarm simply dial the USSD code *283# from your phone and follow the prompts. Once complete you will receive an SMS in your inbox.

  1. Discounted farm inputs

As a farmer on the digifarm platform, you will be eligible to receive farm input products at a discounted price from the depot and platforms such as iprocure.

  1. Access to information

With digifarm you will be able to access information that relates to livestock farming as well as crop production.

At the same time, you will also have access to the best agribusiness practices such as sustainable agriculture.

With sustainable agriculture, we can ensure we protect the ecosystem and realize better earnings and as well as a better environment.

  1. Loan facility

As a member of digifarm you will have access to a wide network of financial services from Safaricom partners in order to grow your enterprise.

From the platform, you can easily receive financial support without having to visit your bank and explain yourself.

With the loan facility, you will be able to have access to better feeds, seeds, and fertilizers from the farmers’ depot that will go a long way to boost your production and earnings.

  1. Digi soko

Registered farmers on the platform will have access to market services where you will be able to sell your farm produce at a favourable rate eliminating the middlemen.

  1. My profile

This is the last feature on the digifarm platform and one of the most important for you as a farmer in these interesting times.

The profile feature helps you create your own profile, edit your details, and view in order for the best services as per your farm’s needs.

What is Safaricom’s digifarm you ask. This is a platform that all farmers should be part of in order to ensure we achieve food security in Kenya.

Having an agribusiness question? Do you know of a successful agribusiness venture or story that you wish to share? I would like to hear from you. Send me the TIP(s) at mkulimatoday@gmail.com

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