Which Maize variety to grow? Kenyan farmers get expert advice via SMS
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS www.kephis.org)has launched a service for maize farmers all over the country. Many farmers know that commercial or improved seeds can increase their chance of higher yields and thus bigger incomes but they don't always know which one to buy best suited for their environment. Extension officers who could provide this service are often not presnet or not easily reachable. But now the farmers can text maize and the name of the administrative division to a number paying 10 KSH (about 10 cents USD)and they receive names and info about the most suited maize varieties for their location.
A problem according to Kephis personnel is that admin divisions can often contain extreme changes in topography and thus agro ecological zones. So advice can't be as accurate as it should be in some cases. There would be the need to include more accurate location information, like through a gazetteer for locations within a GIS or to use smaller admin units so that the KEPHIS system can be fine tuned to better serve the rural users.
Read about a farmer's experience and his dialogue with a Kephis employee under:
here
Last Updated (Tuesday, 09 February 2010 13:16)