Arrays of Agricultural topics 👉Choose-Write-Post#23

Technology/crypto in Agriculture(How technology/crypto has affected agricultural practices

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INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is not something that it's static, it evolves. From the days of hoe and cutlass, we are now into the era of precision farming, drone spraying, artificial intelligence, and even cryptocurrency which helps farmers earn better. Truth be told, as someone from Nigeria with a little farming experience, I have seen how technology has slowly dey transformed the way we produce, distribute and even sell crops. Agriculture has been rebranded, and it is now digital.

When we hear "Technology and Crypto in Agriculture", some people just wave it off like it's not of their business. But if you think well about it, this is a very deep matter, and it has a great impact— especially for us in Africa.

Let me take you on this journey to explore how tech and crypto has shaped agriculture — for better, and sometimes with challenges as well

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MECHANIZATION AND PRECISION FARMING

First of all, let's talk about mechanization. In time past, farmers depended on hand work and maybe small animal support. But now, tractors, ploughs, automated seed planters, and harvesters have made the work very easy. For example, a land that would take 3 people to clear, a tractor can clear it under 4 hours.

Precision agriculture is another game changer. It's like a farmer using a smart brain to do farming. With satellite imagery, GPS, and sensors, farmers can know the nature of the soil, which nutrient it has, and how much water the crop needs, and even detect disease before it spreads. It is this kind of tech that helps harvest increase without extra stress.

In Nigeria now, companies like Hello Tractor have brought in smart tractors which anybody can book via mobile app. You don't even need to buy your own; just book like Uber and it would land in your farm. It's a win-win for the tractor owner and small farmer too.

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MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AND FARMER ACCESS TO MARKET

Let's think about this: over 70% of smallholder farmers in Africa do not have stable access to market information. They do not know when prices rise or fall, and most times, they sell below the correct value. But now that mobile tech has come to stay, things have improved a bit.

A lot of agri-tech startups have built mobile platforms that give real-time market prices, weather forecast, and even connect farmers with people that would buy their crops. FarmCrowdy and Thrive Agric in Nigeria make use of mobile and web platforms to help farmers get capital, farm inputs, and market after harvest.

I remember one farmer in Akwa Ibom that told me; since he joined a WhatsApp group created by a cooperative, he now sells tomatoes faster and at better price. They share the buyer info and price updates there. A Small development that fetches big benefits.

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BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTO: CHANGING THE GAME

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Now let us delve into the cryptocurrency aspect

Blockchain tech brings full transparency into the agriculture supply chain. With blockchain, farmers can track their goods from farm to final destination. No more manipulations from middlemen by twisting the figures. For instance, a cocoa farmer may know how his beans travels to a Europe chocolate company. That kind of transparency brings about trust and better payment.

In the crypto matter as a whole, though it is still fresh, the promise is very rewarding. Platforms like AgUnity and Bitland make use blockchain to help farmers get identity and land records. Some even reward farmers with crypto tokens if they do organic or sustainable farming.

Imagine you supply cassava for Benue and agro-company purchase and pay you in Bitcoin or USDT. It means that you no longer need the services of the bank any longer, payment goes fast, and naira inflation does not affect your money. And that is a real upgrade.

Some cooperatives now save their money in crypto, especially stablecoins. Though government regulation and bad network are still the issues in village areas, but the future is getting bright.

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DRONES AND SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

I first watched a drone spraying a farm in an online video and I was amazed. I didn't believe that it was going to reach that level that quick, but it has happened, and has come to stay

Big farms now make use of drones spray pesticide. There is no need to hire 20 people any longer. The drone will map the land and spray where pests are active only. This one helps reduce waste and save the soil from too much chemical.

Smart irrigation too is another development. With sensors and software which collects data, some farms now water their crops only when and where necessary. This in turn saves water, increase yield, and reduce farmer stress. In dry areas like northern Nigeria, it works perfectly..

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ONLINE LEARNING NAD DIGITAL EXTENSION SERVICES

Back in the day, if an extension officer did not visit you, then that is a problem — you would miss out on a new development. But now, YouTube, online courses, WhatsApp groups, and agri forums have made knowledge readily available..

I also learnt how to make organic pesticide using neem and pepper through a Facebook post. Some farmers even post farm tips on TikTok now. That's the power of technology — everybody can learn without waiting for anybody.

Even the government and NGOs have built digital platforms that can send SMS for native languages to guide farmers. It bridges the gap caused by ignorance.

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CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS

Despite all of these benefits, there are still a lot of challenges on ground:

• Electricity: Most village areas don't have steady light to charge phones or power devices.

• Internet and smartphone: Not every farmer can afford it or know how to use it.

• Tech fear: Some old farmers are still afraid of all these apps and gadgets.

• Crypto regulation: Government has not really made it clear on how crypto can work with agriculture.

But even with all these, we are making progress. Farmers are trying, and awareness is growing by the day.

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MY FINAL TAKE

Technology and crypto are transforming agriculture from scratch. We are now moving from the manual suffering to a stress-free business with good profit. With better education, support, and inclusion, Africa can become the real food basket of the world — and technology leads the charge.

Not everything changes overnight, but as farmers try to embrace tech, better days ahead. I truly believe very soon, we will begin to see farmers as tech heroes.

So let's open our eyes, learn step by step, and apply what we can Agriculture will not be for old men again —even the Gen Z, Web3 and crypto levels are now a part.

I invite @mr-peng @us-andrew @imohmitch to participate in this contest