The International
Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is providing access to Rwandan farmers to
enable them use the mobile phones to verify product genuinely, especially on
fertilizers.
NaijaAgroNet learnt that already,
this kind of service access is operational in Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, South
Africa and Uganda to name a few, but various technology vendors.
According to Bruce
Kisitu at the on-going Information and Communications Technology Summit for
Agriculture held in Kigali, this new technology uses mobile phones to confirm whether
the product is real or fake, reports AllAfrica.com.
"Agricultural
products must have a pack number that the farmer types into their phone and
sends to local short code that automatically returns a verification of the
authenticity of the product being purchased. All agro products, like seeds,
pesticides, fertilizers and pesticides are supposed to be marked with a scratch
panel that reveals the product's pack number," Kisitu said.
NaijaAgroNet the International Fertilizer
Development Centre (IFDC) in partnership with Crop Life Africa developed the
technology.
Isaac Onyema/GEE
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