https://en.sputniknews.africa/20250812/how-ugandas-low-cost-smart-farming-tool-can-secure-africas-food-future-1076855227.html
How Uganda’s Low-Cost Smart Farming Tool Can Secure Africa’s Food Future
How Uganda’s Low-Cost Smart Farming Tool Can Secure Africa’s Food Future
Sputnik Africa
The incidence of climate change has caused lower yields, threatening food security in much of Africa’s drought-stricken farmland. But an innovative... 12.08.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-08-12T18:14+0200
2025-08-12T18:14+0200
2025-08-12T18:30+0200
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How Uganda’s Low-Cost Smart Farming Tool Can Secure Africa’s Food Future
Sputnik Africa
The incidence of climate change has caused lower yields, threatening food security in much of Africa’s drought-stricken farmland. But an innovative, solar-powered Internet of Things (IoT) solution promises to tip the balance back.
In Africa’s eastern and southern regions, prolonged droughts and crop failures affect more than 90 million people. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), African countries lose, on average, between two - five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) annually due to climate-related extremes like droughts, heatwaves, etc. Amid these challenges, a Ugandan researcher has developed a bespoke technology using FAO's Crop Water Requirement Model—a low-cost system (just $30 to $50) that helps smallholder maize farmers water only when necessary. This tool combines affordable soil sensors, solar power, cloud analytics, and familiar communication channels like SMS and social media messaging.African Currents interviewed Dr. Johnson Mwebaze of Makerere University's College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), Uganda. The discussion focuses on how his innovation enhances food security, climate resilience, and sustainable maize production for Ugandan smallholders—and its potential to scale across Africa.Want to hear more from our guests? Catch the full conversation on the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.You’ll find our episodes not just on the website, but also on Telegram.► You can also stream our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents.
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How Uganda’s Low-Cost Smart Farming Tool Can Secure Africa’s Food Future
The incidence of climate change has caused lower yields, threatening food security in much of Africa’s drought-stricken farmland. But an innovative, solar-powered Internet of Things (IoT) solution promises to tip the balance back.
In Africa’s eastern and southern regions, prolonged droughts and crop failures affect more than 90 million people. According to the
World Meteorological Organization (WMO), African countries lose, on average, between two - five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) annually due to climate-related extremes like droughts, heatwaves, etc.
Amid these challenges, a Ugandan researcher has developed a bespoke technology using FAO's Crop Water Requirement Model—a low-cost system (just $30 to $50) that helps smallholder maize farmers water only when necessary. This tool combines affordable soil sensors, solar power, cloud analytics, and familiar communication channels like SMS and social media messaging.
African Currents interviewed Dr. Johnson Mwebaze of Makerere University's College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), Uganda. The discussion focuses on how his innovation enhances food security, climate resilience, and sustainable maize production for Ugandan smallholders—and its potential to scale across Africa.
"Most advanced technologies out there are very expensive for smallholder farmers. So my research is basically focused on smallholder farmers. I believe the large-scale farmers could be able to afford some of these advanced technologies used out there. But we do not have those large-scale farmers within our context. So I'm addressing actually the majority of farmers we have in our countries. So, first of all, the technologies out there are very expensive; they're not accessible. So I was looking for something more cost-effective and that's accessible to everybody. Second, of course, the resource optimization is water scarcity," Dr. Mwebaze noted.
Want to hear more from our guests? Catch the full conversation on the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
You’ll find our episodes not just on the website, but also on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents. 
