On May 26, the Daily Monitor, the largest English language independent newspaper in Uganda, published an article discussing how Ugandan experts are urging the government to subsidize or incentivize smart irrigation technology. Fadi Abu Azeh, area sales manager, was quoted in the story.

The article emphasizes the importance of adopting smart irrigation technology to enhance agricultural resilience. These advanced systems that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) devices, can enable efficient water usage by automating irrigation based on soil moisture and water data. In return, farmers will have improved crop yields and conserve water.

“In the last 20 years, water scarcity has increased everywhere—even in water-rich countries. We are facing a red alert globally. Yes, we still have water now, but what are we leaving for the next generation?” said Abu Azeh in the article. “You need smart irrigation to increase both agricultural output and landscape quality. Uganda has immense agricultural potential, but over 65 percent of farmers are smallholders, and only around 10 percent operate on a large scale.”  

The Daily Monitor was established in 1992 by a group of editors with a mission to maintain editorial independence.