Digicow Africa has emerged as a trailblazer in revolutionizing the agricultural sector through cutting-edge digital solutions.
Leading from the front with their mobile-based technologies that not only support the agricultural ecosystem, but also redefine the landscape of digital extension services and data-driven decision-making.
According to the company’s founder Peninah Wanja, the company was established in 2016 to develop mobile-based technologies to support the agricultural sector.
Such systems, according to Wanja, enable digital extension services and data-driven decision-making within the entire agricultural ecosystem.
“Growing up in a small village where we practised small-scale farming, I observed my mother care for our only cow
“Working with small-scale farmers and my experience growing up with and practising small-scale farming enabled me to identify farming challenges. I saw how a digital platform would resolve these challenges even as the farms were self-sustaining,” Wanja said.
By 2019, and with over 230,000 farmers on board, DigiCow was named the most innovative agritech in Kenya at a World Bank challenge.
In an interview with CIO Africa, Wanja explained how they have utilized AI to make systems that have helped farmers and vets keep digital records for cows.
For instance, Ndume App which is an offshoot of the main Digicow app is used by animal health providers to digitise health and artificial insemination records.
Through the app, DigiCow provides an electronic record management platform that can be accessed by all decision-makers in the livestock value chain.
This app makes it possible for a vet to digitise diagnosis, treatment, deworming, breeding, vaccination and AI records.
“Farmers can access digitised records automatically through Digicow which then predicts key dates and events for the animals such as when the cow will calve down to when pregnancy confirmation should be done
“The app then sends in-app and SMS reminder notifications on all important dates to farmers, including those without smart phones,” Wanja said.
Since its establishment, DigiCow has won multiple awards including Best Agritech Company 2023: Digital 100 Awards 2023, Most Innovative AgTech: Agricultural 100 Awards 2022, AYuTe Africa Challenge: Heifer International – Winner, East Africa 2022 and Making More Health Together: Boehringer Ingelheim 2022.
Others are Most Innovative AgTech Mobile App of the Year: Mobile App Summit & Awards 2021, Disruptive Agricultural Technology: World Bank 2019, Best AgTech Platform in Kenya: Digital Awards 2019 and Best Digital Agricultural Platform: Digital Inclusion Awards 2018.
“We have grown from a database of 10 farmers to 230,000 farmers. We have also grown our revenue 4X. We have impacted and worked with 600+ youth extension officers and 1,800 animal health practitioners,” Wanja told CIO Africa.
Additionally, the company has worked with organisations such as the World Bank, Mercy Corps AgriFin, Heifer International, Boehringer Ingelheim, CKL Africa Ltd, Unga Farm Care and Biodeal.
They have also worked with 20 county governments.
According to Wanja, challenges they have faced include poot network connectivity and financial constraints in the initial stages.
“The low adoption of record keeping by farmers was thankfully resolved through Ndume as used by animal health practitioners,” Wanja stated.
