Rinchi
TechInAfrica – Google has granted Sh100 million for 100,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya. The grant is meant to offer these smallholder farmers a train to develop their digital skills. Google made the announcement at Google first event in Kenya that took place in Nairobi. It is also outlined as a long-term strategy and devotion to participate in optimizing the country’s economic and social growth.
In order to facilitate these Kenyan smallholder farmers in increasing their yields and productivity, Google has coordinated with a Kakamega-based non-profit organization, One Acre Fund. The partnership is set not only to provide training but also products and services so that they are able to digitize their agribusiness operations and tasks. This training will bring advantages to low-income farmers and farmers who live in the rural areas of the country.
As what is said by the Country Manager of Google Kenya, Charles Murito: “In Kenya, the agriculture sector employs over 40% of the total population, contributing to 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We want to see the power of technology elevate small-scale farming. We hope that through this initiative, we will see a positive impact on food security, job creation and GDP growth in Kenya.”
The technology is one of the good solutions for Kenyan smallholder farmers where it generates efficiency and increased productivity from agricultural yield.
“At One Acre Fund, we’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with Google in the service of smallholder farmers in Kenya. With greater access to technology and training, farmers can make their land more productive. We’re excited to scale our digital innovations in rural areas and expand our life-improving services for thousands of hard-working farmers,” said the Managing Director of One Acre Fund, Matthew Forti.
