In a recently-released report, the World Bank and the African Development Bank have highlighted the fact that the African agriculture industry - which is the biggest economic sector in almost all the countries of the continent - can substantially benefit from information and communication technologies (ICTs).

According to the report, the potential benefits which African farming can reap from ICTs is evident from the finding that approximately 7 percent of the GDP in Africa is the outcome of direct contribution from technology.

The report further elaborated that the contribution of technology is noteworthy for African farming because mobile handsets make it possible for the Africans to access services which, in the developed countries, are accessible via conventional means, like newspapers and financial services.

Noting that "the value of a mobile phone is higher in Africa than elsewhere," the report has identified several ways in which technology can be of immense use for African farming.

As per the report, one of the key benefits of technology for the African agriculture industry is that it helps the farmers get `market information,' thanks largely to services like Ghana-based BusyLab's Esoko, which help farmers gain access to market prices via their mobile handsets.

Furthermore, some of the other advantages of technology for African farming include availability of agricultural insurance to smallholders; knowledge about proper irrigation techniques for increasing crop productivity; and traceability of agricultural produce - from farms to the supermarket - via facilities like the Namibian Livestock Identification and Traceability System.