Agriculture ministers in several African countries are calling for the digitalization of the sector over the next five years (2025-2030) to address the risk issues and the distribution facing smallholder farmers in Africa.
The Minister presented the proposal at the African Loan Small Farmers Conference held from March 17-18, 2025. The conference was about “Scaling Finance for Small Farmers in Africa.”
Gambia’s Agriculture Minister Demba Sabbary emphasized the importance of organizing small-volume authors in the association to improve access to finance. “The next task is to strengthen the digital sector, digital platforms, and farmer registration systems and provide real support,” he said, adding that it will eliminate intermediaries where digitisation of agriculture will increase financial costs for smallholder farmers.
Smallholder farmers make up 70% of the Gambia workforce and donate 30% of the country’s GDP, Sabbary said they call them the leading guarantors of Gambia’s food security. He called for increased cooperation with financial institutions to support the implementation of the policy.
Madagascar’s Agriculture Minister François Sergio Hadjarison strengthened this position and said digitization could do much to solve the problem of input risk and distribution. He said 80% of Malagasians are dependent on agriculture, and 90% are classified as small family farmers.
Liberian Agriculture Minister Alexander Nueta has identified financial literacy as an important barrier for farmers seeking loans. “Most of our farmers lack financial know-how. As a result, financial institutions are reluctant to provide them with funding,” he explained.
Liberia plans to establish a mechanization centre where farmers can acquire government-supported equipment, along with initiatives to help agriculture digitalize their farming operations and strengthen partnerships with development partners.
The minister emphasized the need for cooperation between the government, financial institutions and the private sector to support smallholder farmers.
