WhatsApp and Facebook groups have revolutionised farming, and emerging farmers who use these platforms for sharing information and marketing are reaping the benefits.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
Input suppliers, researchers, farmers and development advisers use WhatsApp as their primary communication tool to spread information about techniques that help them tackle production challenges, including climate change. The information is shared on farmers’ groups.
Dintoe Taunyane, a livestock farmer in Thaba Nchu, Free State, says social media has created online communities where farmers can share their experiences and challenges, and learn how their peers are solving problems.
WhatsApp voice notes have become a vital tool in a country where most farmers are elderly and have limited literacy or the ability to collaborate and access information.
Dintoe explains: “I find WhatsApp groups to be effective in three ways: the advice we get from experts when animals are sick; the speed with which messages are spread about stock theft, meaning we have been able to recover animals in many cases; and the ability to share articles from magazines and newspapers that can help others improve their businesses.
“Voice notes are great because they are quick and save writing time. People who can’t read or write can follow the conversation,” he says.
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Limpopo livestock farmer Mampotse Koko says WhatsApp groups have improved information-sharing, and not only provide production tips but facilitate sales and prevent stock theft.
Mampotse belongs to various groups, including Balemi ba Blouberg (Blouberg Farmers), which focuses on livestock production and includes more than 260 farmers as well as animal health technicians and nutritionists, bankers and development advisers.
Members discuss farming practices and solutions, and exchange information about training sessions, sales and stock theft. “We also communicate through Facebook, but WhatsApp is the primary means of communication. It’s the quickest way for farmers to access information,” he says.
Naude Malan, senior lecturer in development studies at the University of Johannesburg, says social media has opened opportunities for small farmers.
Malan, a member of the Agricultural Research Council and convenor of Izindaba Zokudla, which aims to develop urban agriculture in Soweto as part of a sustainable food system, says farmers appreciate getting information, particularly DIY videos they can share with their friends.
Despite the many benefits of social media, Malan sounds a cautionary note. “By signing up on some platforms, farmers’ data can be obtained and used without their permission,” he says.
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According to Farai Gwelo, a rural development practitioner and consultant with a focus on information and communication technology for development at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Facebook and WhatsApp groups are the most prevalent ways for farmers to digitise information as many lack access to more sophisticated and expensive digital tools.
Gwelo says farmers can access information, including extension services, through these platforms. “South Africa, as well as many African countries, has a high extension service staff-to-farmer ratio, which means there are more farmers than extension officers, making it impossible to effectively cover all farmers,” she says.
WhatsApp groups also allow farmers to network and connect more easily. “In the research I’m currently doing, one of the findings is that farmers have developed real-life connections (friendships, networks, clients) through this platform through which they can share ideas, find solutions to common problems, and come up with innovations that will advance their businesses,” says Gwelo.
“In addition, WhatsApp and Facebook groups have become digital libraries for farmers, as they can always refer to previous posts for information. This library contains information based on real farmer experiences.”
As well as allowing farmers to trade among themselves, Gwelo says the digital groups have created a huge marketing and trade platform where they assist each other in finding markets. Buyers and agents on these platforms can source directly from farmers.
“In this way, the supply chain is shortened and farmers earn more from their produce than using a traditional supply chain,” she says.
According to Gwelo, these platforms have also broken down language barriers since farmers can communicate in their own languages, which is more convenient than traditional apps where English is the language of communication.
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