Mobile app making farm work easier

Simon Vulega, the proprietor of Vurra Farm in Arua, taps on his smartphone and details of one of his calves appear on the phone’s screen.

“This application has made it easy to manage and track the records of all my cows in the farm,” Vulega says of  the revolutionary iKnowFarm, a farmers’ application, which works more as an assistant to the farmer.

The application also makes it easy to document and store other important information regarding the farmers’ livestock, without doing it manually, using record books and files.
Records 

Elsewhere in Ediofe, using a laptop in his farm, Selestino Taban, checks the milk production patterns of one of his cows, whose records are in the application.
Taban embraced iKnowFarm only three months ago and appreciates its uses already. He says it has never disappointed him.

“I get timely and accurate data, records and reminders about each of my dairy cows whenever I want and regardless of my location as the application is easily accessible through my smartphone too,” he says.

The application 

iKnowFarm is a Windows devices based application that can also be integrated and synchronised with the farmers’ other devices such as a tablet or smartphone running any of the available operating systems; Android, Windows, iOS and Sailfish among others.

The application, which was conceptualised and developed by Grace Christopher Muhumuza, enables electronic identification through the use of electronic microchips too.

“The application is able to keep the individual records of all your farm activities, ranging from accessing seedlings to planting, marketing and offering extension services,” says Muhumuza, the head of agribusiness at iKnowFarm.

Extension services

It records farmer’s details, farm information and location, and nearby extension services.
The field officers can then collect the data concurrently helping the farmers get the reports of their farms’ queries fast. iKnowFarm however works best within farmers who come together to form agricultural cooperatives, groups and unions, to ease dissemination of the necessary, required information collectively.

It also enables farmers to identify particular nearby collection points for their produce, as it incorporates the use of Global Positioning System (GPS), to identify the farmers’ locations and nearby centres for produce collection and other agricultural services.

Farmers can also post their queries on farming, and animal and crop diseases to farming extension services officials through the application and receive their replies through the same or extension service personnel deployed in the various regions under the application’s coverage.
Purpose 

Muhumuza further says ICT integration in farming constantly serves the purpose of lessening the farmers’ expenses burdens in different farming ventures.

He mentions that seeds, fertiliser and animal feeds, among other farming inputs can now be purchased easily online and delivered to the farmers through courier, saving the farmer the time and expenses, while mobile money transfer platforms come in handy for making the payments for the purchases.

Muhumuza also adds that extension services can also be carried out through mobile applications and short message services (SMS), as demonstrated effectively in use in districts such as Arua,  Nebbi,  Yumbe and Madi Okollo.
ICT integration in agriculture

Muhumuza alludes that, though not exclusively well developed in the country’s agricultural sector, ICT should be embraced as it is the driving force, not only in farming per se, but also in other related sectors such as agricultural industrialisation.

Vulega, agrees that although ICT is not widely used in farming at the moment, it ought to be embraced and integrated into daily farming practices.

He says farmers making use of such applications have an easier time accessing their farms’ information and records regardless of their location away from their farms.
Marketing of produce, which he mentions as the task in which it is intensively employed, is also made a lot easier through ICT driven trading platforms.

He says ICT, in more ways draw youth especially, to farming and agricultural practices.
Award 

Recently, iKnowFarm, was recognised as a leading brand during The African Prestige Awards held in Dubai, UAE.

The mobile app emerged as the best agricultural support software of the year, winning recognition for its innovative product that teaches farmers the best sustainable farming techniques and provides extension services. 

The award was received by Muhumuza who was thrilled to see the hard work of the team recognised at such a prestigious event.

The African Prestige Awards is an event that celebrates African excellence in different industries, including agriculture. 

The event is attended by leading industry experts, policymakers, and business leaders from across the continent.

iKnowFarm was nominated for the agricultural support software of the year category, which recognises companies/organisations that have developed innovative software to support farmers.