SMARTseeds

Recent changes in climate have caused difficulties for small farmers in making their crop planning and in dealing with pests and diseases related to weather. Accurate and timely information on weather forecast and water availability will help farmers to take better cropping management decisions. The SMARTSeeds project is developing services that provide information on weather, nutrients and fertility status, prices of commodities and recent developments on technology and seeds. The project is not aiming for farmers growing rice, but other produce such as chili, tomato and cucumber. The information helps farmers make better decisions on which crop to grow and when, and when to harvest and bring their produce to market. The information services are also accessible for other actors in the production chain, such as input suppliers, vegetable buyers, farmer groups, financing institutions, NGOs and local government. The information that the SMARTSeeds project produces is distributed by SMS and Smartphone apps, as well as through the extension service of EWINDO.

ITC is a partner in the SMARTSeeds consortium that is led by ICCO and also includes ITB, EastWest Seeds (EWINDO), Akvo, and Nelen & Schuurmans.

Contact persons

dr.ir. W. Bijker

Project leader

Global impact

Food security

Population growth is leading to increasing demands for food and hence claiming more land for food production. This process has thrown many developing countries into a poverty trap characterized by expansion of agriculture into marginal lands, land degradation and declining yields. 

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