This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
Published on September 4, 2019, Microsoft, through its 4Afrika Initiative, is collaborating with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to develop technology solutions in agriculture.
The partnership aims to support AGRA's digital transformation, enabling data-driven, precision farming that increases farm productivity and profitability.
Microsoft and AGRA will explore the use of big data and artificial intelligence to improve crop yields and increase income for farmers.
According to Amrote Abdella, Regional Director of Microsoft 4Afrika, technology can significantly contribute to the transformation of the agriculture sector in Africa.
“Agriculture is a priority sector of investment for us, not only because it sustains some 70 percent of livelihoods, but because we believe technology can significantly contribute to the transformation of the sector,” Abdella says.
Abdella adds that Microsoft-enabled IoT technology has helped farmers increase crop yields by 300 percent and increase income for farmers.
AGRA notes that the biggest hurdle to increasing farmer productivity in Africa today is the continued use of outdated production technologies and practices.
As a result, the Digitilisation of African Agriculture Report found that 90 percent of the market for digital services that support African smallholders remains untapped, and could be worth more than US$2.26 billion.
