Farmers in Kenya transform crop quality and yield with AI-powered app

Kenyan farmers have long faced challenges related to poor crop yields and low-quality produce, compounded by climate change, supply chain disruptions, and lack of access to agricultural best practices. A team led by Pius Mutuma developed FarmersSavvy, a user-friendly app leveraging Microsoft's AI Builder, SharePoint, and PowerApps. Through AI-driven crop image analysis, the app detects diseases and provides tailored cultivation advice, helping users identify issues early. SharePoint integration allows for efficient real-time data management, and PowerApps ensures accessibility for all technological proficiency levels. The initiative is designed as a scalable foundation, with future plans to enhance the platform with live chat and automation. The FarmersSavvy project has received positive feedback and demonstrated improved crop yields, higher produce quality, and farmer empowerment through technology adoption. FarmersSavvy uses AI Builder to analyze images of crops for disease, pest, or deficiency detection. The data is stored and managed in SharePoint, facilitating seamless record-keeping and analysis. The app's personalized recommendations are tailored to each farmer's crops and circumstances, supporting best practices like soil prep, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. Real-time insights from the platform have enabled farmers to adjust agricultural operations, leading to increased productivity and improved market acceptance of their produce, including potatoes previously rejected by KFC. Future enhancements to the platform include an AI-powered chatbot and further workflow automation.