Kenyan hackathon using code to combat droughts
Young farmers are looking for ways to help those struggling through drought however, with programming. In Eldoret, the Hack4Farming, hack-a-thon drew over 100 people—including the 40 competitors—from across Kenya. With the drought looming large, they have set their sights on revolutionizing Kenyan agriculture.
Among them is Patricia Lagat, a former medical student who now grows passion fruit. Lagat is quick to draw the distinction between traditional farming and agribusiness, which encompasses every step of growing and selling food, from production to marketing.
Her app, Kuza, connects users to a range of industry players to provide the latest information on crop prices and cultivation practices. By plugging farmers into these networks, Lagat believes she can make the sector more attractive and more productive.
"More people will be encouraged to take up in the value chain because of the availability of information," she told me after taking first prize at the hacking conference. "The issue of food security will be combatted."
Among the other projects pitched to a panel of judges were a GPS platform to guide farmers to nearby fertilizer and feed suppliers, an "Uber" to rent out idle farm equipment to other farmers, and an app with individualized profiles for cattle to prevent inbreeding.
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