Tanzania’s efforts to expand digital agriculture are facing challenges as limited digital literacy, inadequate training and delayed responses prevent some smallholder farmers from fully benefiting from government-supported platforms.

Services such as M-Kilimo and e-Kilimo are designed to connect farmers with market information, agricultural advice, extension services and potential buyers. However, experiences shared by farmers in the Dodoma region suggest that making these platforms available does not necessarily translate into effective use or improved agricultural incomes.

Theresia Abel Nyoka, a farmer in Paranga village, said she had received messages about the services but had not registered because she lacked information about their benefits.

Other farmers who have tried the platforms have raised concerns about the timeliness and usefulness of the information provided.

Delayed responses undermine digital farming services

M-Kilimo, a mobile service operated by Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture, provides market information and farming advice. It also allows farmers to advertise their produce and seek assistance from agricultural extension workers.

The broader e-Kilimo platform brings government agricultural services together through a website and smartphone application.

However, maize and pigeon pea farmer Jeremiah Luwe said responses to his questions about markets and agricultural inputs through M-Kilimo sometimes take up to two weeks.

He continues to depend on public meetings, commodity auctions and media reports to obtain market information.

Other farmers face barriers linked to access to smartphones, connectivity and the ability to navigate digital services. Some rely on basic mobile phones, while others obtain price information through television and established agricultural marketing cooperatives.

Tanzania invests in digital agricultural transformation

The government is investing in digital agriculture through the $3.62 million Data for Digital Agricultural Transformation Joint Programme, running from September 2024 to August 2027.

The initiative aims to strengthen agricultural data systems and expand access to digital services. Its targets include improving digital literacy among 500,000 farmers and training 500 government agricultural extension workers.

A 2024 study using Ministry of Agriculture information reported approximately 7.2 million registered farmers on M-Kilimo. It also recorded 9,985 extension workers and experts, 24,523 customers and 26,927 agricultural product sellers.

The platform had recorded 75,623 advisory consultations, with 73,839 receiving responses.

However, these figures do not establish how many farmers actively used the platform or whether the information provided improved their production and marketing decisions.

The study also identified approximately 400,000 incomplete registrations and highlighted challenges involving digital literacy and access to services, including the USSD system designed for users without internet-enabled smartphones.

Digital platforms must complement existing market systems

Tanzania already has established agricultural marketing structures that connect smallholder farmers with buyers.

Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) enable farmers to pool produce for organised sales, while the Warehouse Receipts Regulatory Board oversees systems through which farmers deposit produce in licensed warehouses.

The Tanzania Mercantile Exchange also provides an organised marketplace for commodity trading, including produce stored through the warehouse receipt system.

Agricultural specialists say digital services could strengthen these existing arrangements by helping farmers access wider market information, compare prices and identify buyers beyond their immediate communities.

However, smallholder farmers often face disadvantages compared with larger producers, who may have established buyer relationships, contracts and the financial capacity to store produce while waiting for better prices.

Training and local support key to wider adoption

Agricultural experts have called for digital agriculture programmes to place greater emphasis on practical training and measurable benefits rather than registration figures.

Praygod Malisa, an agriculture specialist with Rikolto East Africa in Tanzania, identified training, smartphone and SIM-card access, connectivity and service costs as barriers to adoption.

He argued that farmers need to understand how digital tools work before they can benefit from them.

Mahadia Tunga, co-founder and executive director of the Tanzania Data Lab, also suggested using communication channels that farmers already trust, including WhatsApp groups managed by extension officers.

Combining digital platforms with offline information and support from local agricultural officers could make services more accessible to rural communities.

The experiences of farmers interviewed in the Dodoma region highlight the gap between digital service registration and practical impact. While some have accessed useful information, others have yet to receive timely market prices or agricultural advice that meets their needs.

For Tanzania, improving digital literacy, strengthening extension services and ensuring faster, more relevant information will be important to making digital agriculture a practical tool for smallholder farmers.