Rwandan Farmers and Extension Agents commend IITA’s digital tools for sustainable banana production

Digital tools are gradually improving the reality of farmers and ground-level evidence is critical to support further development and scaling at various levels. Recently, farmers and farmer promoters (local extension agents) in Rwanda have expressed very positive sentiments about digital tools that have been deployed to support banana production in the Country. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) developed, piloted, and deployed ICT-based tools for surveillance and control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) disease and support extension delivery for sustainable banana production, with initial focus on Rwanda.

Four digital tools have been developed, and are playing a crucial role in combatting BXW disease and providing general banana agronomic information to increase production. The developed tools include:

• BXW App: It is an android-based smartphone application that is available and accessible for download in google play store. The App provides well-illustrated content (Including pictures, texts, audios and videos) that guides users to prevent and control BXW, identify BXW-infected banana plants, and access proven agronomic information for banana farming. So far, farmer promoters register up to 7000 farmers by using BXW App, and 8000 banana farms have been diagnosed.
• Surveillance dashboard for National Agriculture System: This dashboard is a tool that provides near-real-time access to all the data collected through BXW-App, with summary insights, to inform RAB and Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) on BXW incidence status and dynamics across the country.
• Remote training: The project used Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to remotely train over 1000 Farmer Promoters on best banana agronomic practices, digital extension delivery, and BXW control.
• 845 service: This is a system that provides banana agronomic advices for farmers (through 8-4-5 service platform (*845# or dial 845_yes). Any farmer, notwithstanding the type of their phones, can dial 845_yes and *845# and follow the steps that provide agronomic information on best banana agronomy.

“These tools are promising as the country promotes the use of ICT for a modernized agriculture. We will work together with Rwanda Agriculture Board to harmonize them and their integration in the existing agricultural extension delivery system.” – Martine Nezerwa, Chief Digital Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture

We visited Extensionists (Farmer Promoters) and Farmers from the project’s intervention sites, and highlighted their perceptions about the digital tools performance at a farmer level.

Muvunyi Jean Nepomuscene, Farmer Promoter from Gitoki Sector, Gatsibo District, and Western Province of Rwanda: He said, “From my side, I consider these digital tools as my mobile farming advisors. These are great inputs to effectively deliver agricultural extension services to farmers in my village and its neighboring areas. Since I started using the BXW App in 2018, I have registered up to 70 farmers in the system and I am still registering them. Through the digital tools introduced, I learned that the new and effective practice to fight BXW is the Single Diseased-Stem Removal (SDSR) technique. We were used to apply the Complete Mats Uprooting (CMU) technique for the control of BXW where we were uprooting all infected banana mats with their surrounding non-infected banana mats by thinking that they are infected too. After learning

about the SDSR technique, I experienced an increase in banana production and have more healthy bunches in my field than before.”

Muvunyi added: “I was surprised by the functionalities of the 845 service, it allows two-way conversation by just clicking on a number on my phone’s keyboard and the system gives the answer immediately, even on a basic phone and without internet. Furthermore, I learned other best practices for banana agronomy including desuckering, recommended fertilizer application, and removal of male buds after formation of the last banana cluster. We no longer experience many BXW cases as it used to be in my village”

“These digital tools are changing farmers’ lives; especially because they are helping us, as Farmer Promoters, to deliver banana agronomy messages to farmers with precision. We used to deliver agronomic guidance to farmers without any reference. The tool has increased farmers’ trust in the information we send them on banana agronomy“

Patrice Muhimbabwenge, a farmer from Kinihira Sector, Rulindo District, Northern Province of Rwanda said, “Thanks to agronomic advice from these tools, I have applied the Single Diseased-Stem Removal technique in my field, and it helped to eradicate the Banana Xanthomonas Wilt disease in my farm. I would have lost all my banana plants, but now I can save some of them, therefore increase production, and be able to afford my family’s needs including paying health insurance and school fees for my children. I conclude by requesting more trainings for us farmers to deepen our knowledge to adequately navigate through these digital tools.”

Uwingabire Florence, a farmer from Gitoki Sector, Gatsibo District, Eastern Province of Rwanda. She said, “When a Farmer Promoter visits me to diagnose my banana plantation, he shows me the videos and photos for both clean and diseased banana plants, displayed through the BXW App. I learned best farming practices from this App such as desuckering, and that the banana mat should only have three plants to give it enough space to grow better and yield more, hence produce healthy bunches. Furthermore, I am now aware that we should disinfect tools used in banana farm (machetes, hoes, knives etc..) in fire to avoid spread diseases. Furthermore, thanks to the App, we are now applying the Single Diseased-Stem Removal technique for best banana agronomy and increase production.

Moreover, I learned that through 845 service, I am able to access the banana agronomic information. I did not know of that service. I used to dial this line to listen to other programs such as reproductive health, folk drama etc… I will also be looking for banana information.”

Mutuyimana Elisabeth, Farmer Promoter from Kinihira Sector, Rulindo district, Northern Province of Rwanda. The project offered me a smartphone, in which I have installed and navigate BXW App. After the training, I have skills on how to fight the BXW disease in field by using clean/disinfected tools. In addition, I am sharing all the skills gained with my neighboring farmers. Thanks to the best practices found in the BXW App. BXW is reducing in our banana fields. In addition, I learned the Single Diseased-Stem Removal practice. For those who do not have the smartphones, I always recommend them to use 845 service (dial 845 and yes, then follow instructions. Or *845#), and to frequently visit their farms, so that they would spot the diseased-plants on time and remove it before it affects other surrounding plants.

Mutuyimana Elisabeth, Farmer Promoter from Kinihira Sector, Rulindo district, Northern Province of Rwanda. The project offered me a smartphone, in which I have installed and navigate BXW App. After the training, I have skills on how to fight the BXW disease in field by using clean/disinfected tools. In addition, I am sharing all the skills gained with my neighboring farmers. Thanks to the best practices found in the BXW App. BXW is reducing in our banana fields. In addition, I learned the Single Diseased-Stem Removal practice. For those who do not have the smartphones, I always recommend them to use 845 service (dial 845 and yes, then follow instructions. Or *845#), and to frequently visit their farms, so that they would spot the diseased-plants on time and remove it before it affects other surrounding plants.

The project is currently implementing its scaling plans to foster wider adoption and sustainability of the tools, by engaging the national agricultural stakeholders mainly the Rwanda Agriculture, Animal

Resources Development Board (RAB), Ministry of Agriculture, and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), alongside other partners in charge of national digital transformation policy such as the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA).

The project is implemented in collaboration with Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resource Development Board (RAB) and other several partners, including VIAMO, ARIFU, Linking Pin Africa and TUNGA, with financial support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The project aligns with the ICT for Rwanda in Agriculture (ICT4Rag) Strategy, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.