By Austin Cheboi and Jeremiah Darso
Introduction
Digital extension services refer to the use of digital platforms, such as websites, mobile apps, social media, and call centres, to provide farmers with agricultural information and support. These services are crucial for job creation because they improve access to agricultural knowledge, enhance farm productivity, and offer training and employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women in rural areas.
Traditionally, agricultural extension services have been government-led, with around 5,470 officers trained as extension workers by 2022. However, limited funding and personnel shortages have led to inadequate service provision. Digital extension services have emerged as a modern solution to bridge this information gap using technology. With 66 million mobile connections and 96 per cent Internet penetration, digital extension services can improve farming techniques while addressing unemployment. The expansion of digital platforms offers job opportunities across the agricultural value chain, creating a transformative potential for employment. This blog presents the transformative opportunity for digital extension services to create jobs.
Status of Digital Extension Services
Types of digital extension services
Recent initiatives in digital extension services reveal job creation potential, particularly in content creation and technology support. Programmes such as participatory video-based extension services, led by organizations such as GROOTS Kenya, engage farmers in generating relevant agricultural content. These efforts not only close information gaps but also create demand for skilled professionals to produce, manage, and distribute digital content.
Several digital tools, such as KAZNET, NURU, and Digi Cow, have connected agriculture and livestock farmers with suppliers and marketers. For instance, the Viazi Soko platform of the National Potato Council of Kenya has enabled farmers to access quality inputs, increasing their productivity, which in turn creates employment opportunities in supply and value chains and extension support roles.
Digital platforms such Hello Tractor, which connects 1.2 million farmers to 5,000 tractors through 2,000 booking agents, also present job opportunities. Roles are created for technology facilitators, booking agents, and data analysts, highlighting the scalability of employment through digital extension services.
Policy and legal frameworks
The National Agriculture Extension Policy of 2012 and the Big Four Agenda emphasized agricultural transformation through digital technologies. This policy has promoted growth in digital extension services. In addition, the National ICT Policy and the Digital Economy Blueprint encourage the development of digital infrastructure.
Further, support comes from the National Agricultural Sector Extension Policy (NASEP), which promotes mobile technologies for extension services. In 2019, the Agricultural Sector and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) established Kenya as a regional agricultural leader and driver of economic growth through a modernized agricultural sector. Regulatory frameworks, such as the KICA Act of 1998, the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018, and the Data Protection Act of 2019, provide a structure for regulating the ICT sector, ensuring data protection, and addressing cybersecurity.
Job Creation Potential along the Digital Extension Value Chain
Digital extension services have the potential to create jobs across several nodes in the agricultural value chain:
Content creation and dissemination
The creation and distribution of digital content is where jobs are generated. From video producers to app developers, digital extension services require professionals to design, create, and distribute content to farmers. As such, thousands of young people are employed in areas such as app development, content moderation, and media production. In 2022, there were 500-1000 content developers and media producers, 200-500 app developers and tech support and 1000-2000 field data collectors and extension workers. Digital platform maintenance and support
Platforms such as Digi Cow, KAZNET, and Viazi Soko require continuous maintenance and support, creating jobs for software engineers, customer support teams, and digital marketers. These platforms must be updated regularly to remain relevant and userfriendly, offering employment for technical professionals. Currently, 500-1000 engineers and IT support personnel along with 500-800 customer service and digital marketing professionals, work in this sector.
Market linkage and coordination
Connecting farmers with markets through digital platforms requires coordination between various stakeholders. This has created opportunities for supply chain managers (500700), booking agents and market coordinators (2000-3000). Platforms such as Hello Tractor have already demonstrated the potential for job creation in market linkage.
Training and capacity building
With increased digital tool adoption, trainers and capacity building experts are needed. Initiatives such as Kuza One, which has trained 3,600 farmers through digital platforms, demonstrate the demand for skilled trainers who can provide localized, relevant content in different languages. This creates job opportunities for agricultural experts, trainers (1000-1500), and extension workers (2000-3000).
Challenges to Job Creation in Digital Extension Services
Digital divide
Internet access disparities (13.7% in rural, compared to 42.5% in urban areas) is critical for agricultural development.
Inadequate agriculture sector budgetary allocation
The agricultural sector’s budget is below the 10 per cent recommended by the Malabo Declaration restricting funding of digital extension services such as infrastructure development, training programmes, and digital platforms for farmers. Thus, limiting the capacity of digital extension services to scale up and create jobs.
Financial and technical skills constraints among farmers
Financial and technical skills constraints limit farmer’s ability to adopt digital tools. Limited digital literacy such as basic computer and mobile literacy for navigating devices, accessing agricultural resources and engaging on online platforms hinders job creation. Data interoperability issues
Limited data interoperability between various digital platforms creates inefficiencies and increases costs for farmers, limiting farmers’ willingness to adopt new technologies. Addressing these issues would enhance the scalability of digital services and create more jobs.
Recommendations
- Increasing funding: The Government could allocate more funds to digital extension services to scale up operations and create jobs in the agriculture value chain.
- Improving digital literacy: Mount more affordable and accessible digital literacy programmes in rural areas to bridge the digital divide and increase uptake of digital extension services.
- Promoting private sector involvement: Encourage more private sector investment in digital extension services, especially in tech and content creation.
- Enhancing data interoperability: Improving the interoperability of digital platforms to lower costs and increase farmer engagement.