Digital Farmer Information Access Pilot
A mobile-first initiative delivering agronomic tips, market price alerts, and weather advisories to member farmers across all districts.
Programme photo
Programme Objectives
- Develop and deploy a low-cost SMS-based farmer advisory system
- Curate weekly market price and weather content relevant to smallholder farming calendars
- Assess the impact of information access on farmer decision-making and income outcomes
- Build organisational capacity to sustain a digital information service beyond the pilot period
The Digital Farmer Information Access Pilot was designed to test whether timely, relevant information delivered via basic mobile SMS could meaningfully improve smallholder farmer decision-making and outcomes in Malawian conditions. Working with a technology partner, NASFAM developed a platform that delivered weekly packages of agronomic advice, market price data, and weather summaries to registered farmer subscribers at no cost to the recipient.
Content was developed by NASFAM's extension team and reviewed by district agronomists before distribution, ensuring that advice was locally appropriate and season-specific. Price data was sourced from a network of enumerators at key district markets, supplemented by official statistics where available. Weather summaries were sourced from the national meteorological service and translated into practical farming actions.
An impact evaluation conducted at the conclusion of the pilot found that regular subscribers were significantly more likely to delay selling produce until prices recovered from post-harvest lows, to apply fertiliser at optimal rates, and to prepare for weather disruptions than non-subscribing farmers in the same communities. Participating farmers attributed the SMS service as one of the most practically useful programme inputs they had received.
The pilot's success informed the design of NASFAM's broader digital strategy, and the SMS advisory service has been integrated into subsequent programmes as a standard component rather than a standalone intervention. Lessons on content curation, subscriber management, and community facilitator roles have been documented for sharing with other farmer organisations in the region.
Programme Partners