AI App Can Link Farmers Directly With Consumers, Says Analaize CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of Analaize, Mmadubuko Michael, has advocated the use of artificial intelligence and mobile technology to connect farmers directly with consumers, saying the approach could help address food scarcity and rising prices.

Mmadubuko made the suggestion while speaking with National Focus during a telephone interview, where he explained how technology could transform the marketing and distribution of agricultural products in Nigeria.

According to him, consumers would benefit from a platform that allows them to communicate directly with farmers and purchase fresh farm produce without unnecessary intermediaries.

He proposed a mobile application that could notify consumers when farmers begin harvesting products such as yam, tomatoes and peppers, allowing them to place orders directly from different farmers through one platform.

“Imagine being able to have a mobile application on your device and then you get an alert the first day these farmers are pulling these yams out of the ground,” he said.

Mmadubuko said the platform could provide first-hand alerts for different agricultural products, enabling consumers to buy directly from multiple farmers using a single application.

He identified logistics as one of the major challenges that would need to be addressed to make such a system effective.

However, he argued that logistics would become easier to manage if technology could first bridge the communication gap between farmers and consumers.

“If the communication can be bridged between the farmer and the consumer, then we are solving a lot of food scarcity and price hikes,” he said.

The Analaize CEO said greater use of technology in agriculture could improve access to fresh produce while creating a more efficient connection between producers and consumers.