- FarmerAI provides real-time, relevant farming best practices to smallholder farmers in underserved communities.
- Initial pilot launched now and running till August.
- Targeting the potato crop cycle—the project aims to enroll 800–1,000 farmers across Kenya
Safaricom and Opportunity International have launched FarmerAI in Kenya, an AI chatbot to provide real-time, relevant farming info to smallholder farmers in underserved communities in Kenya.
FarmerAI combines generative AI with localized agricultural insights, delivering vital information on topics like weather patterns, fertilizer application, pest management, and market prices. Unlike other solutions that rely on a field agent network, FarmerAI will use accessible channels such as SMS and WhatsApp via Safaricom’s DigiFarm service, which connects thousands of farmers via WhatsApp and SMS.
“AI is already transforming the world around us, but the impact this technology can have on underserved communities is truly impactful. Above all, this partnership underscores Opportunity International’s and DigiFarm’s shared mission to uplift smallholder farmers,” said Opportunity International Chief Technology Officer Greg Nelson. “Our partnership, and this new tool, will make agricultural information more accessible, actionable, and equitable for everyone.”
FarmerAI is already live under a pilot running from now through August and aims to enroll 800–1,000 farmers across key regions of Kenya by year’s end. Safaricom’s DigiFarm and Opportunity International will co-brand FarmerAI to provide farmers with tools that help increase their yields and streamline access to financing.
The platform will regularly engage with potato farmers both digitally and in person on a regular timetable to deepen insights into farmers’ challenges and bridge the digital divide—particularly in rural areas where connectivity and cost are often barriers. As per a 2022 report from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the agricultural sector contributes roughly 22.4% to the country’s total GDP, and smallholder farmers make up around 5.6 million of the overall farmer population.
“AI is a critical part of the present and the future. Our mission at Safaricom is to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030. In line with this, we are committed to bring to our customers and stakeholders technological solutions that will positively impact on them. FarmerAI is the first solution we are bringing to farmers that enables them to interact with AI and feel the power of that technology. One of the challenges that farmers face today is access to the right information at the right time such as what to plant, when to plant, weather advisory among others. This AI chatbot will allow smallholder farmers access verifiable information on common questions to guide their decisions,” said Dr. Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom.
