(NAKURU, KENYA) – Nakuru County has launched a mobile application to give farmers timely agricultural information. The FarmerChat app will provide weather updates, crop advisories and real time agricultural information directly through mobile phones. It is expected to improve agricultural productivity and promote climate resilient farming. The platform was launched by the county government in partnership with CARE Kenya and Digital Green.
County Chief Officer for Agriculture Margaret Kinyanjui said the platform will give farmers detailed information on crop diseases, pests, soil management and other farming challenges. It will also provide guidance on appropriate interventions. The app will offer advice on crops suitable for a farmer’s location, helping them make informed decisions based on local environmental conditions.
The FarmerChat app will support conventional agricultural extension services by providing farmers with reliable information whenever they need it. Kinyanjui said the mobile app is an important addition to the agricultural extension system because it gives farmers access to reliable information without having to wait for an extension officer to visit their farms.
Kinyanjui said combining digital technology with existing extension services would enable Governor Susan Kihika’s administration to reach more farmers. It would also help the county respond faster to emerging challenges posed by climate change and support farmers to make informed decisions that improve productivity and incomes. She encouraged farmers to use the technology and said the county remains committed to strengthening physical extension services. Digital tools should complement rather than replace direct engagement between farmers and agricultural officers.
The initiative will support implementation of the Nakuru County Agroecology Framework. The framework promotes soil health, climate smart agriculture and increased food production. Kinyanjui said the application will strengthen farmers’ ability to respond to agricultural challenges by providing information on crop diseases, pests, weather conditions and recommended farming practices through an accessible digital platform.
FarmerChat is an artificial intelligence powered agricultural advisory platform developed by Digital Green. It provides farmers with timely, localised and practical information. Farmers can interact with the application through text, voice or photographs. This makes it accessible to users with different levels of literacy and digital experience. A farmer can type or record a question about a crop problem, upload a photograph of an affected plant or provide location information when seeking advice on what to plant.
The system processes the information and uses agricultural knowledge, local conditions and weather data to provide guidance relevant to the farmer’s circumstances. The application provides information on crop diseases and pests, fertilizer and pesticide use, weather and irrigation, livestock management and different crop enterprises. Its location based functionality makes recommendations more relevant to local climatic and agricultural conditions.
The platform also supports multilingual and voice based interactions. These features can help overcome language and literacy barriers that sometimes limit farmers’ access to conventional agricultural information. FarmerChat is designed to complement traditional agricultural extension systems rather than replace agricultural officers. The technology can give farmers immediate access to basic information while allowing extension officers to concentrate on cases requiring specialised technical advice or physical farm visits.
Kinyanjui said the involvement of CARE Kenya and Digital Green adds technical and development expertise to the county’s digital agriculture agenda. CARE Kenya is part of the global CARE confederation. It works to address poverty and inequality and strengthen the resilience and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. CARE works with government, communities and development partners in areas including food and nutrition security, climate resilience, livelihoods, gender equality and economic empowerment.
Digital Green is an international development organisation that uses digital technology, artificial intelligence, data and locally generated knowledge to strengthen agricultural and rural development systems. The organisation works with governments, development partners and communities to make agricultural knowledge more accessible to smallholder farmers. Through FarmerChat it combines technology with agricultural expertise to provide farmers with practical information while strengthening existing extension systems.
Kinyanjui said the platform will help Nakuru County farmers reduce reliance on guesswork when making important farm decisions. A farmer whose crops develop unusual symptoms could use the application to seek preliminary guidance on possible causes and recommended interventions. Farmers preparing for a planting season could use the platform to get information on suitable crops, weather conditions and recommended production practices. This could improve planning and productivity.
Access to timely weather information is important as farmers deal with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Kinyanjui said such information can support decisions on planting, irrigation, crop protection and other farm operations while helping farmers adapt to climate related risks. The digital advisory service is also expected to ease pressure on conventional extension systems by providing information at any time. This is particularly useful in areas where extension officers serve large numbers of farmers.
Agriculture remains a major economic activity and source of livelihoods in Nakuru County. Farmers are engaged in crop production, livestock keeping, fisheries, horticulture and floriculture. The county produces major food crops including maize, beans, Irish potatoes and wheat alongside fruits and vegetables. Dairy farming and other livestock enterprises remain important parts of the agricultural economy.
The initiative also supports implementation of the Nakuru County Agroecology Policy and its implementation framework. The policy promotes sustainable and climate resilient food systems through practices that improve soil health, conserve natural resources, strengthen biodiversity and help farmers adapt to climate change.