(A column highlighting scientific, technological, engineering and design innovation in Africa)
iCow is a mobile phone agricultural information service developed by Kenyan native Su Kahumbu, founder of Green Dreams Tech Ltd.. to simplify farming methods and increase milk production for small livestock farmers in Kenya.
Small dairy farmers in Kenya are estimated to sell about 3 to 5 liters of milk per day currently, but reports have shown that 15 liters must be sold per day in order to bring a family over the poverty line.
Available as a subscription service through Safaricom, Kenya’s largest mobile phone operator, the iCow application makes milk production more efficient and beneficial for Kenya’s dairy industry, valued at US$40 billion and supported by 1.6 million farmers.
Farmers can subscribe to iCow by dialing *285# on their cell phones and registering their cows for free. After subscribing, farmers receive three text messages each week at a cost of 3 Kenyan shillings each (US$1=Ksh85 approx.) to remind them about their cows’ immunization dates and milking schedules, and give them information on local veterinarians and artificial insemination.
Farmers also receive “cow calendars” for another Ksh3, as well as a text message with tips and suggestions designed for each specific cow, calf or heifer. The service is currently available in English and Kiswahili.
“The wonderful thing with iCow is that by the time you have used the app and adhered to all the instructions, your cows end up healthier, bigger and stronger. They can easily fetch you more money in the marketplace. Every smart farmer will use iCow,” one small-scale farmer based in the central highlands of Kenya told Forbes magazine.
Kenyan farmers who live in secluded areas are often uninformed about milk and cattle pricing, and many do not keep records of important information such as each cow’s gestation and lineage, which can result in disease and inbreeding.
A new feature, iCow Soko, originally enabled farmers to trade cows across the iCow platform, but has since expanded to include trading of chickens, goats and sheep, and even beyond livestock to trees, (fodder, timber, fruit trees) as well as by products such as goat milk,
The iCow app took first place in the 2010 Apps4Africa Competition, where it was hailed as an innovation that will revolutionalize interaction with small-scale farmers. It won the 2012 Vision 2030 ICT Award for Innovation and was a finalist in the 2012 Innovation Prize for Africa.
