DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Smallholder farmers across Tanzania remain largely unable to capitalize on the country’s expanding digital agriculture services, according to a new assessment that cites inadequate training and delayed response times as key barriers. The report found that while mobile-based platforms offering market prices, weather advisories and extension advice have proliferated in recent years, many farmers in rural areas lack the digital literacy needed to use them effectively. Extension officers and platform operators, meanwhile, often take days to respond to farmer inquiries, undermining the value of time-sensitive market information. Analysts say the gap is particularly acute among older farmers and those in remote districts with limited connectivity, who make up a significant share of the agricultural workforce.
The findings raise concerns about whether Tanzania’s push to digitize agriculture will deliver on promises to boost incomes and food security for the millions of smallholders who supply most of the country’s food. Agriculture accounts for roughly a quarter of Tanzania’s GDP and employs the majority of its workforce, yet productivity remains low. Officials have championed digital tools as a way to connect farmers to buyers, reduce post-harvest losses and improve access to credit. Researchers and farmer representatives are urging the government and development partners to invest in hands-on training, expand rural network coverage and set response-time standards for service providers. Without such measures, they warn, digital agriculture risks widening the divide between well-connected commercial farms and the smallholders it is meant to help.
Independent reporting synthesized from primary wires and global correspondents.