This article mentions some very sensible use of technology aimed at farmers in Africa. The commonsense quotient of each example is amazingly high compared to anything we read about in the world of "innovation" more locally in America.
These are real problems needing to be solved, not a solution smacked on a problem that did not exist until the founder informed us of its existence. It takes no imagination or particular expertise to understand the business case for The Widim Pump for instance
The Widim Pump, made by a Dakar firm called Nano Air, is a box controlled by SMS messages that a farmer sends to manage his irrigation system.
The savings are substantial, even for poor peasant families, says Oumar Basse, a 27-year-old engineer and the company's co-founder.
"There's no more need for the farmer to walk several kilometers every day or use up fuel or hire someone to monitor the pumps.
"He can switch on the water or turn off the supply using his mobile phone."
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