By Lebogang Mashala
Jehiel Oliver, founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, wants to combine African traditions, technology and agricultural activities to realise his vision for the future of farming.
Hello Tractor is an agricultural technology company that connects tractor owners with smallholder farmers who require tractor services. The company was founded in the Nigerian capital of Abuja in 2014.
Oliver says technology has become increasingly important in African agriculture and smallholder farming systems need a technology-driven approach to ensure optimal productivity. “The average plot sizes are less than five acres. By utilising technology and innovative thinking, the company ensures that services are delivered to these unique growers in a profitable manner,” he says.
The online platform provides accessible and affordable tractor services, and the company’s technology enables virtual smart tractor monitoring, remote asset tracking and tractor-sharing. It provides farmers who own under-utilised tractors with a new source of revenue and helps to reduce fraud and equipment misuse.
The app incorporates artificial intelligence to monitor how many acres are being worked by operators. This ensures consistency in what is reported from a revenue perspective, which is important because community agents work on commission.
“By sharing assets, tractor owners can support fellow farmers and earn additional income,” says Oliver. “The idea is to take from those who have and include smaller players in the process, ensuring mutual benefit for all.”
Hello Tractor operates in 15 countries: Angola, Bangladesh, India, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda,Guatemala and Jamaica. It is used by more than 4 000 farm equipment owners who collectively work millions of acres of smallholder farmland.
By using Hello Tractor’s app, equipment owners, smallholder farmers and community agents are able to connect with each other, leading to improved efficiency and productivity.
Oliver says Africa is home to almost a quarter of the world’s productive farmland but contributes only 2% of global food trade. He wants to change this by making the continent self-sufficient and transforming it into a net contributor to the global food system.
As Africa urbanises, there are concerns about agriculture’s future but for Oliver, the key is in a nation’s heritage around land ownership and its perception of agriculture as a business. Hello Tractor wants to make farming more efficient, profitable and attractive to younger generations.
“We’re introducing farming with technology, glamour and swagger. It’s about making farming Instagrammable and appealing to a younger generation,” he says.
Oliver is optimistic about policy alignment. He says the Continental Free Trade Agreement is expected to improve the movement of goods and services, which can be the backbone for innovative solutions. “While governments have limitations, Hello Tractor’s model proves that the private sector can significantly influence and positively change the agricultural landscape,” he says. “Our mission is to lift everyone as we rise, ensuring that everyone wins. The future is about leaving no one behind.”
