Transforming Agriculture through Diversification Entrepreneurship (Trade) programme says it plans to introduce information and communications technology (ICT) hubs for farmer clubs to access farming information.

Trade knowledge management and communication officer Oscar Ulili said this on Saturday in Dedza District after conducting a mapping exercise with farmers.

He said ICT hubs are crucial in scaling up communication among smallholder producers to boost agricultural productivity and production.

Trade programme officials and farmers during a mapping exercise in Dedza

Said Ulili: “The emergence of ICT in extension services has opened new avenues in agricultural knowledge management that could play an important role in meeting the prevailing challenges related to innovation, sharing, exchanging and disseminating agricultural information, knowledge and technologies to smallholder farmers. “Therefore, radio and new ICTs provide not only an alternative, but also a complementary service in advisory service delivery.”

One of the farmers, Phillip Njalale thanked Trade programme for the initiative, saying it will help farmers access new information easily.

“This is a welcome development to farmers as it is convenient, instant and cost-effective as we will no longer need to pay the extension workers to come and give us new information anytime,” he said.

Trade programme is being hosted under the Ministry of Local Government, Culture and Unity with support from International Fund for Agricultural Development and Opec Fund for International Development.

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