The potato industry in South Africa is investing in various technologies to improve its sustainability, and is currently in the process of developing a mobile app to improve communication with members.
As Glenneis Kriel reports for Farmers Weekly, the app would not only help with the problems experienced with compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act while using WhatsApp as a communication tool, but also allow users to more readily access information.
This was according to Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potatoes SA (PSA), speaking during a recent information session held in the Sandveld region of the country in the Western Cape.
“The idea is to build business intelligence and help producers make better informed production and marketing decisions by sharing real-time market information along with other industry news at one central point. “Farmers will also be able to communicate with the producer organisation via the app,” he said.
Farmers can download the app via the GeoFarmer website, after which they can upload information relating to the lands to be surveyed, including the labelling of the land, GPS coordinates, planting date, and cultivar planted. Jacobs said the app will allow farmers to identify problem spots and compare production from different areas on their farms, and over time, [and] also [to] compare production with what has been achieved in previous seasons.
Source: Farmers Weekly. Read the full article here
Photo: Courtesy Farmers Weekly
