Govt, FAO, launch digital information, surveillance observatory system to support agriculture in Kiryandongo

Government in partnership with the Food and agriculture organization (FAO) has launched and handed over digital devices to Kiryandongo local government during the launch of the digital information and surveillance observatory system that seeks to support agri-food systems transformation.

Antonio Querido, the FAO country representative noted that the  project  aims at improving food and nutrition security, income, and livelihoods of subsistence farmers and smallholders through the development of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems in Kiryandongo.

"The project also addresses a range of inherent coupled dynamics, feedback loops and digital impacts that characterize the way agri-food systems interact with the overall objective to improve food and nutrition security, income, and livelihoods of small-holder farmers through the development of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable farming systems,"

"The digital platform will support information and surveillance observatory systems of agri-food system actors, processes, and products available to support traceability, quality assurance, trade competitiveness and improved nutrition. Through the design, digital tools are being deployed across the different elements of the agri-food systems, and more specifically input chains, production, post-harvest, storage, marketing and distribution, processing, retailing, and consumption, collating them with outcomes from food security, nutrition, and health surveys. The system will be vital in generating real-time surveillance to support important tasks, such as distributing quality-sourced inputs to farmers or managing the inventories on different aspects of the agri-food system."

Edith Aliguma, the Kiryandongo district chairperson asked FAO to also consider training locals on how best they can use the digital system for sustainability noting that many projects come and end up going to waste whenever the funders leave.

"We have seen this many times, the best is to train local people on how the system operates, so that it can be scaled down to avoid it dying when you FAO leave, but also the cost of internet and network remains a challenge in remote places."

John Matumi ,  the principal agricultural officer in the ministry of agriculture said the system will link all actors and play a great role in the agro-industrialization plan as well as the current parish development programs.

"We know government is pushing for agro industrialization which is digital, so now this system will be vital on linking all actors, enable collection of real time data, promote sustainable environment but also help farmers to get market, trace fake seeds, so it's important we embrace it for better" He implored

Martin Jacan, the KIryandongo chief administrative officer tasked all technical heads, politicians to embrace technology saying it will ease information distribution especially in the line of agriculture.

"I call upon all of you to embrace this technology in totality, given the current environment there is no way we can live with out information technology, it will go a long way in bridging the gap in the agriculture sector, but also help farmers get real information and trace fake seeds in case any, i have also learnt it helps finding market, this is very good for us."