By: Henrietta Afful
A Research by the CSIR-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), has identified several barriers to the adoption of digital tools in agriculture.
Presenting the key findings of the research, Dr Portia Adade Williams highlighted high costs for acquisition and maintenance, insufficient skills and education, poor internet connectivity, selective implementation of technologies, and a general distrust in digital solutions among others as some major factors mitigating the use of digital tools in agriculture.
This stands in contrast to the significant benefits that digital technologies offer, which include the potential to transform agriculture by boosting productivity, ensuring food safety and security, and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
These issues were highlighted during the policy dialogue for “Enhancing Farmers’ Uptake of Digital Technologies through Research, Innovation, and Policy Interventions (EFUDTRIPI)” Project, held in Accra on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
In Ghana, the research highlighted that while there has been substantial progress in adopting digital tools for farming, additional efforts are needed to implement advanced digital technologies to further enhance productivity.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research together with its research wing STEPRI and allied partners’ policy dialogue therefore focused on the challenges farmers encounter and explored ways to customize solutions to their unique needs.
The Director of CSIR-STEPRI, Dr Wilhemina Quaye emphasized the Institute’s mandate to conduct research, provide learning-based information, and contribute to the formulation and implementation of policies for socio-economic development.
“Our goal is to harness science, technology, and information to drive progress in the agricultural sector,” she stated.
Dr. Wilhemina Quaye emphasized the importance of collaborative engagement, expressing a strong desire for joint efforts to address and overcome the barriers to adopting digital technology in agriculture.
Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr. John L. Kpodoviah, stated that while it is encouraging to see communities adopting digital solutions, additional efforts are needed to engage more farmers with digital platforms to enhance yields.
The Deputy Director of CSIR, Dr. Rose Omari speaking to GBCONLINE on the sideline of the policy dialogue said, despite the challenges facing the agriculture sector, there is significant potential to transform it into a technologically advanced industry.
She affirmed that CSIR-STEPRI is dedicated to promoting digital technology in agriculture and is keen on exploring which tools are most familiar to farmers.
She further highlighted the importance of this initiative in bridging the gap between digital technology firms and farmers by fostering a deeper understanding of farmers’ needs and challenges.
“CSIR-STEPRI aims to create effective solutions that can facilitate the widespread adoption of digital technologies in agriculture. This, in turn, promises to enhance the overall efficiency and productivity of the farming community”; Dr. Rose Omari added.
The European Union Delegation to Ghana and Programme Manager for Sustainable Agriculture and Cocoa, Ms. Céline Prud’Hommo Madsen assured of the EU’s readiness to work with agric stakeholders to get support for their research.
The policy dialogue involved a diverse group of participants, including stakeholders from the agricultural value chain, researchers, and representatives from ICIPE/AGRiDI, OACPS, MESTI, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, as well as members of the media and other interested parties.