(AGENPARL) - Roma, 20 Luglio 2023 - (AGENPARL) – gio 20 luglio 2023 Digitalizing agriculture in rural Senegal
Digital tools can help offset uncertainties in weather patterns caused by climate change
©FAO
In Nioro, Senegal, Mamadou Drame, a father of four children, now looks down at a screen instead of up at the skies to understand the weather and know what to plant. Historical rain cycles have become increasingly unreliable because of climate change, upsetting patterns of planting and harvesting. Thankfully, digital innovations have stepped in assisting him to boost his rice, maize, millet and vegetable production. These tools are also helping in finding buyers and receiving payments on his phone.
In November 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the [Agricultural Services and Digital Inclusion in Africa](https://digital.apps.fao.org/message)(ASDIA) project, with Flexible Voluntary Contribution funding.
The project’s main objective was to provide farmers with real-time information on weather forecasts, best agricultural practices, livestock care, market prices, health and nutrition directly from specially developed applications on their cell phones.
With the “Weather and Crop Calendarâ€