From 15 to 20 July, the FSRP-Togo in collaboration with AfricaRice trained a pool of 60 agricultural technicians, including 8 women, on the RiceAdvice Platform. The training was part of the implementation of activities to consolidate regional agricultural innovation systems by modernising national extension services , promoting access to and exchange of technologies.

RiceAdvice is an interactive Android-based decision support tool that provides a recommendation on rice variety and cropping calendar, and identifies the best fertiliser to buy, as well as the quantities and timing of application based on nutrient requirements and fertiliser prices. Using RiceAdvice, farmers can also select their own target yield level to suit their budget.

The aim of this training is to contribute to positive changes in producers’ typical yields and thus add value to our farmers’ incomes.

The agents trained will in turn be called upon to train their peers in their respective regions and to support rice growers in the specific management of their plots to increase their productivity.

The participants were trained in the use of the application in the classroom, and a practical simulation was carried out in a real-life situation with producers from the surrounding villages, to run the questionnaire and enter the data relating to the information required from the producer to generate the recommendations.