Over 7 Million Kenyan Farmers Use Social Media to Sell Their Crops

Kenya farmers have taken the initiative and pioneered a growing trend researchers are calling “social agriculture”.

The trend describes how farmers use social media as a source of revenue by selling information and produce on various social platforms.

Findings reveal the important role of social media, particularly Facebook, in transforming the country’s agricultural landscape.

Farmers Use Social Media To Grow And Sell Produce In Kenya

According to a new publication by research and advisory firm Caribou Digital, a substantial 62% of Kenyan farmers are utilizing Facebook as a tool for selling produce. This marks a significant departure from traditional agricultural marketplaces.

These include Facebook groups like Digital Farmers of Kenya and the Young Farmers Forum, on WhatsApp. 

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These new practices include selling information and expertise, positioning social agriculturalists as new providers of expertise. Additionally, making them self-made digital extension workers. All these are done on social platforms. 

Jonathan Donner, Senior Director for Research at Caribou Digital, highlights the significance of this shift. He stated, “Our research unveils the transformative potential of social media in reshaping how farmers engage in agricultural trade. Also, the prevalence of Facebook as a primary platform for selling produce underscores the nature of digital marketplaces in Kenya.”

Kenya Farmers Social Use Increases Active Social Platform Users

Based on an industry-standard estimate that 22.5% of 33 million registered users are active, digital agriculture platforms have an estimated active user base of approximately 7.5 million in Kenya. Wefarm, a popular digital agriculture platform, had 1.4 million users in 2018,” reads the Mastercard Foundation-sponsored report, in part. 

“Facebook advertising indicates that the number of Kenya farmers is estimated to be 9.3 million. This means the number of people using social media platforms for agriculture in Kenya is higher than the total active users of dedicated digital agricultural platforms.” 

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