Digital transformation is positively impacting key sectors of the economy, notably in Africa with sectors like agriculture and finance.  To further capitalize on its opportunities, African countries are actively invested in initiatives such as innovation support schemes that aim to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Last week, the Tanzanian and Moroccan governments launched a satellite-based system for the digital collection of agricultural harvest data. The launch took place at the Tanzanian Agricultural Research Institute's (TARI) Uyole center in Mbeya, Tanzania.

The new system, which costs more than a billion Tanzanian shillings (around $399,202), should enable better estimates of agricultural yields and cultivated areas.

The system works by using smartphones equipped with satellite connectivity to collect data from "white zones," which are areas with limited or no internet access. These zones are home to most of Tanzania's agricultural regions.

The data collected by the smartphones will be used to monitor crops from germination to harvest. This will allow the Tanzanian government to have more accurate statistics on agricultural production.

"The aim is to have actual statistics of what we produce in every farming season," explained Fredrick Mlowe, a soil expert at the TARI center in Uyole. "Our officers used to predict the amount of crops to be harvested, a practice that is now phasing out as we are switching to digitalization,” headded

Tanzania is hoping that the new system will help to make agriculture a key sector for its economic development. In the age of the technological revolution, digitization is seen as a mandatory step for improving agricultural statistics. This, in turn, will enable the government to have a clearer vision of food security, monitor crop prices, identify production basins, provide financial support to farmers, and anticipate food shortages.

Adoni Conrad Quenum