Opportunities and Challenges in Scaling the Use of Digital Extension Tools for Rural Farmers in the Republic of Sudan

Introduction and Background

The Digital Advisory Support Services for Accelerated Rural Transformation (DAS) Programme is a demand-based facility funded through a grant from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The programme aims to provide technical advisory support for information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) activities within IFAD-financed programmes across Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

The DAS programme has two main objectives. Firstly, the programme seeks to increase access to information and inclusive financial services by smallholder farmers. Secondly, it aims to improve targeting, monitoring, and impact measurement for agricultural development through the enhanced use of ICT4D solutions. Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG) has partnered with experts in digital development and agriculture from Jengalab and TechChange to provide advisory services, including virtual training sessions and knowledge dissemination activities. Under the DAS programme, the DG team conducted an assessment to help the Integrated Agriculture and Marketing Development Project (IAMDP) identify the opportunities and barriers to digital adoption. The assessment gauged the ICT capacity of the IAMDP call centre and recommended digital technologies for scaling the reach and impact of the project.