NEW YORK CITY, New York — Since increasing agricultural efficiency is one of the most effective strategies for reducing poverty, finding new ways to help farmers in developing countries improve their agricultural yield is crucial. The 8028 Farmer Hotline is an Interactive Voice Response and Short Message Service (IVR/SMS) in Ethiopia. It delivers timely information directly to farmers through mobile phones. The 8028 Farmer Hotline increases agricultural efficiency by ensuring that farmers have real-time access to crucial agronomic details to continue to produce their crops at an efficient rate.
Increased Agriculture, Decreased Poverty
In Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world with an estimated 35 million people living in poverty, there is a dire need for poverty reduction. According to the World Bank, growth in agriculture is two to three times more effective than growth in other sectors in reducing poverty. Even further, the impact of agriculture on poverty reduction is most significant for the most poor. Agriculture can stimulate an economy by increasing job opportunities. Additionally, increased agricultural productivity can raise farm incomes, increasing food supply and reducing food prices.
A System in Need Of Fixing
Ethiopia’s agriculture makes up 40% of the country’s GDP, 80% of the country’s exports and approximately 75% of the country’s workforce. However, despite such a dependency on agriculture, there are many flaws with the agricultural system. For instance, the crop yield from small farms in Ethiopia is below regional averages. Additionally, only 5% of the land has irrigation, the market is weak and there is very little use of improved seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.
The Fix
In order to yield a successful crop, farmers need to be aware of crucial agronomic information to make informed decisions in their farming. In Ethiopia, it is particularly important that the remote rural smallholders, who comprise most of the farming sector, receive up-to-date data and information regarding their agriculture. Usually, it takes multiple years for information to get from Ethiopia’s research centers to smallholder farmers.
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Resources, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and Ethio Telecom teamed up in 2014 to create the 8028 Farmer Hotline. Farmer Hotline revolutionizes the way agronomic information gets to farmers. Smallholder farmers can access the Hotline by calling the code 8028. That way, keypad menu options allow farmers and Development Agents to sign up for the service and select their areas of interest. From there, farmers can receive automated information whenever they call about various agricultural activities on major cereals, pulses and high-value crops.
Another way the 8028 Farmer Hotline increases agricultural efficiency is through the hotline administrator, who can “push” or broadcast specific content, according to ATA. For instance, in cases of drought, pests and disease, the data from when the farmers register with the system is utilized to send out tailored information based on crop, geography, or demographic.
More recently, in 2020, the Hotline has expanded to incorporate more information, including livestock information and COVID-19 health advisories.
The Impact Of 4 Numbers
By 2021, the Hotline tallied more than 5.8 million registered users, 6.5 million push-based alerts and approximately 51 million calls after just eight years of service. Additionally, the ATA also reports that the Hotline introduces financial literacy content.
The ATA quarterly report states, “the 8028 Farmers Hotline has successfully added basic financial literacy content in five major languages.” According to the same report, “The newly added basic financial literacy content contains useful information that will assist our smallholders to make more informed decisions about certain personal finance areas like financial planning, loans and credit management, savings, investment, etc.”
Ultimately, the 8028 Farmer Hotline is an incredibly effective and much-needed tool. It is helping farmers in Ethiopia improve their agriculture to decrease poverty throughout the country. With lots of success to report already, the 8028 Farmer Hotline looks to be a promising route to increased agricultural efficiency in Ethiopia.
– Sarah DiLuzio
Photo: Flickr