A new agro-weather tool has been developed in Kenya to help local farmers

Liberian rice traders will be the first target of the investment initiative.

The web- and mobile-based tool was developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organisation (KALRO) and provides farmers with real-time weather forecasts.

Financed by the World Bank under the Bank Netherlands Partnership Programme (BNPP) on sustainable development climate change window, the tool incorporates climate information and best-bet agronomic management recommendations for farmers.

Farmers register online or through their mobile phones and obtain information pertaining to their various crops, which allows them to manage weather risks, maximise productivity and minimise the environmental impacts of farming practices.

Farmers can select the crops of their choice in their counties and get the seasonal, monthly and 5-day weather forecast, enabling them to make informed decisions on which crop variety to grow in the rainy seasons.

Agriculture is the most important economic activity in the east African nation, with around 80 per cent of the workforce employed by the agriculture and food processing industries.