Scaling Systems for Research & Innovation Financing (SSRIF III) 

Smallholder farmers in Ghana face significant challenges due to inefficient fertilizer use and lack of affordable soil health insights, leading to low yields, wasted inputs, and environmental harm. To address this, Sesi Technologies, in partnership with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Manchester Metropolitan University, developed FarmSense; an AI-powered, IoT-enabled tool that provides non-invasive soil analysis (pH, NPK, organic matter) and actionable recommendations. Proven to boost yields by up to 60%, FarmSense supports climate-smart agriculture by optimizing fertilizer use and reducing emissions. 

While successfully tested with 600 farmers across five diverse regions in Ghana, spanning the Upper West, Northern, North East and Savannah, regions, the project demonstrated applicability across varying agroecological zones and farming practices. These trials included a mix of staple crop farmers (e.g., maize, rice, soybean), conducted through partnerships with local extension agents and agribusinesses. Building on these insights, national scalability now requires targeted commercialisation efforts, including localised awareness campaigns, farmer and agent training, and trust-building activities.

This project will deepen deployment of FarmSense across additional regions, refine business models through real-time stakeholder feedback, and retrain AI models with localised data. Through strategic agribusiness partnerships and capacity-building initiatives, the project will ensure market readiness and lay a strong foundation for scaling across Ghana and beyond, driving sustainable productivity gains for smallholder farmers.