ICTforAg 2024: Virtual Day
Session: Youth-Led and User-Centered Approaches for Enhancing Uptake of Digital Agriculture and Digital Financial Services
Despite the proliferation of digital technologies available to support agriculture in Myanmar, uptake among farmers is low. This can be attributed to lack of trust in technology among farmers, lack of willingness to pay for services, and general lack of digital literacy. The restricted uptake results in limited access to market information, weather data, and improved agricultural practices, contributing to limitations of the benefits farmers may accrue from agriculture. Further, farmers’ access to digital financial services is impeded due to the low uptake of digital solutions among farmers.
To address this need, FHI 360, under the USAID Feed the Future Agriculture and Food Systems Development Activity (AFDA) led by ACDI/VOCA, supported farmers across the Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI Kachin, Shan, Mandalay, Magway, and Sagaing, in Myanmar to increase the uptake of digital technologies for agriculture. Towards this end, we used a three-pronged approach that encompassed: 1) enhancing farmer’s digital literacy and digital financial literacy, 2) Digital Financial Services (DFS) expansion to local traders and farmers through engagement of banks and microfinance institutions and 3) expanding the use of eCommerce platforms to local traders and farmers.
Digital and Digital Literacy Training: AFDA focused on delivering digital and digital financial literacy training through young people recruited from local communities known as Digital Agricultural Representatives (DARs). The DARs cohort comprised 26 competitively selected youth from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds from communities targeted for AFDA services. AFDA trained the DARs in advanced digital skills as well as a robust set of other marketable skills, including data collection and analysis, project management, business development, and provided career development support. DARs were then tasked to train farmers and traders in digital skills and connect them to information technology for agriculture and digital financial services (DFS).
To cascade DL and DFL past the lifespan of the project, AFDA trained trainers recruited from multi-ethnic communities to train farmer groups within their communities. Trainers were trained in topics including advanced usage of digital communication tools, financial services, and leveraging technology for agricultural activities. The project used practical sessions, group activities, and real-world case studies to provide a holistic learning experience over 24 days. In addition to digital literacy, trainers supported their peers to become more aware of contract farming and better understand contractual agreements.
To better understand the outcomes of the DL and DFL provided by the DARs, AFDA conducted a panel study involving 132 farmers from Southern Shan (27), Kachin (26), Magway (37) and Mandalay (42) before receiving digital literacy and digital financial literacy training in June 2022 and interviewing the same respondents after their training in March 2023. The study found that the use of DFS by farmers doubled increasing from 27% to 58% 10 months after receiving DL/DFL training by DARs. Women DFS use increased from 10% to 15% and men’s DFS use substantially increased from 17% to 43%. Ten months after the training, 72% of the respondents (20% women, 52% men) started using digital tools for accessing market information. The study further found that the use of Facebook increased by 81%, Viber by 130%, file transfer apps by 900%, and Google Meet from no users before the training to 21 users after.
Digital Financial Services expansion to local traders and farmers: To increase farmers’ and local traders’ access to DFS, AFDA engaged banks and microfinance institutions that provide DF services and DARs - including establishing business relationships between DARs and DFS providers to support sustainability and employability of DARs. The DARs earned service fees as agents of the DFS providers for every new client onboarded to the providers. AFDA partnered with some of Myanmar’s leading DFS providers such as KBZ Pay, A+ Wallet, AYA Pay, RE21, Thitsawork, and Piti for expanding DFS to farmers and traders in ZOI areas. AFDA’s partnership extended beyond facilitation of DFS services to the target group and also supported farmers in becoming mobile money agents empowering them with the skills to become a successful agent and charting a new income generation pathway.
Speakers:
Berhane Gebru, Technical Adviser, FHI 360
Caroline Averch, Technical Director, Economic Participation and Environment, FHI 360
Ei Au Au Aung, ICT4Ag and Digital Financial Services Consultant, FHI 360
Kristina Morzan Kaplia, Technical Officer II, Youth and Workforce Development, FHI 360
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