Unleashing the power of agricultural data: insights from tanzania's digitalization of routine data system
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Date
2023
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Publisher
Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Across Africa, including Tanzania, numerous countries have embraced digitalization in their
agricultural information systems to harness the benefits of improved efficiency and productivity.
The adopted systems can be grouped into two main categories: those aiming to improve
farmers’ productivity and efficiencies and those aiming to improve organizational administrative
efficiencies. While the former has received significant scholarly attention, the latter has not been
fully investigated. Thus, using the case of the Agricultural Routine Data System (ARDS), this
paper analyzes the system’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for effective
designing of digital agricultural information systems. A survey of 30 agricultural extension agents
working at ward and village levels was conducted. Additional data were collected through a
documentary review of grey literature about ARDS and in-depth interviews with six key informants.
It was found that ARDS is a robust system that captures essential agricultural information though
it is challenged by combining information for crops and livestock. The study concludes that the
adoption of ICT has great potential to increase food production and farmers’ income by optimizing
agricultural production and enabling informed decision-making enhanced by quality data. To
improve the performance, the study recommends training to be offered to frontline extension agents
on how to collect quality data, exclude livestock information from the system and digitalize the
system at the village and ward levels.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Digitalization, Agricultural Data Systems, Evaluation, Tanzania