E-Agriculture

Market-led, User-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Service (MUIIS) Service Bundle officially launched in Uganda

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Market-led, User-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Service (MUIIS) Service Bundle officially launched in Uganda

The market-led, user-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Service (MUIIS) Service Bundle was officially launched at the CTA Uganda country office on 8 March 2017. MUIIS is an innovative project that harnesses the power of satellite data to support extension and advisory services to farmers in Uganda.

The MUIIS Service Bundle consists of a series of context-specific weather alerts, agronomic tips and index-based insurance throughout the season and covers four agricultural commodities: maize, beans, sesame and soybeans. To access these services farmers must be profiled and once profiled, dial short code *270 * 67# to access the platform on any type of phone. To ensure success and uptake of the service by farmers, several farmer organisations and agents have been trained to market and provide on-ground advisory services to the farmers in selected districts of Uganda.

Lack of up-to-date information, especially on agronomical and weather updates has always been a big issue for farmers in Uganda. This project will help in building capacity of farmers to become information service providers using Information Communication Technology (ICT). The three year project is expected to benefit a total of 350,000 farmers in Uganda and will improve both farmer's livelihood and agriculture’s contribution to the country’s GDP.

The project is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) through the G4AW Facility of Netherlands Space Office (NSO) and it is being implemented by CTA in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)aWhereInc., the East African Farmers’ Federation (EAFF), EARS Earth Environment Monitoring (EARS-E2M), the eLEAF Competence Center (eLEAF), and Mercy Corps, Uganda.

Source: CTA

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