According to the Famine Early Warning System (fews.net), small-holder farmers will be more affected by the reduced rainfall as they do not have the proper mechanisms in place to withstand the drought.
Over the years, as the frequency and intensity of droughts have increased, farmers have adopted agricultural technology that has enabled them to protect their crops from low soil moisture content. The use of satellite/drone imagery, soil moisture sensors and weather early warning systems has provided farmers with the necessary knowledge of combating drought.
Through the use of satellite/drone imagery, farmers can spot plant stress due to lack of moisture long before it can be identified by the naked eye.
The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is used to monitor plant health by calculating plant reflectance energy from satellite or drone images. This technology has enabled farmers in irrigation to conserve water as they can only water plants according to the plant water stress levels.
Weather forecasts have also been an important tool in agriculture as it provides farmers with vital information on how to prepare for the farming season, especially on rain-fed agriculture.
However, the issue with weather forecasts is that it is only important when it is delivered in time, therefore, farmers have embraced social media as a medium that can disseminate verifiable information quickly. Those without internet or mobile network access still get the same information through radio stations.
For the majority of Africans, who are smallholder farmers, technology in agriculture is still a far-fetched dream as most of the equipment requires capital which is not available. Sustainable and cost effective projects have been implemented in different African countries that have sought to integrate technology and traditional conservation techniques in order to combat the increasing dry spells.
It is up to the smallholder farmers to harness technology as it will play a pivotal role in the 2018/2019 rainy season which will be affected by the El Nino.
