The Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development (AI4SD) has introduced a new mobile application to support farming in the Assin Fosu District of Ghana’s Central Region.
The Smart Indigenous Weather App combines traditional weather forecasting methods with machine learning technology to assist farmers in making informed agricultural decisions.
Dr. Eric Tutu Tchao, lead for AI4SD’s AI in Agriculture Theme, and Rev. Dr. Prince Odame introduced the app to farmers during a stakeholder engagement session.
Dr. Eric Tutu Tchao, lead for AI4SD’s AI in Agriculture Theme
Dr. Enoch Bessah, a member of the agriculture team, led the engagement and explained how the app works and how it differs from previous systems.
Dr. Enoch Bessah, AI in Agric member explained to stakeholders how the app works and how it differs from previous system.
“In the past, we relied on an app developed in Europe. The major challenge was that we couldn’t remotely access the data
“Every month, we had to travel to the communities to collect the data. Sometimes, we arrived only to find that much of it had been deleted—either because a farmer pressed the wrong button or a child had played with the phone. That affected our results, ” he said.
He noted that despite these challenges, some farmers managed to maintain their records and achieved prediction accuracies as high as 82%.
“But now, with this locally developed AI4SD app, once the farmers go online, we can remotely access the prediction data. We no longer need to travel, and data loss is minimized,” he explained.
“This will help improve the accuracy we’ve recorded over the past years, enhance the model’s performance, and make the AI more efficient. It will also enable farmers to make better predictions, ultimately improving their yields,” he added.
Data collection during the stakeholder meeting
Dr. Bessah emphasized the real-life implications for farmers who often borrow money to buy seeds and inputs.
“If a farmer plants and a dry spell hits, he or she could lose everything. It’s devastating. But with better prediction, that risk can be reduced,” he said.
The project is funded by the French Embassy in Ghana, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The app also helps address environmental challenges affecting the district.
Mrs. Naomi Tiwaa, Municipal Crops Officer for the Assin Fosu District, highlighted how deforestation through timber logging has altered local weather conditions.
Mrs. Naomi Tiwaa, Municipal Crops Officer, Assin Fosu District
“We have timber logging here, and while illegal mining occurs in only a small part of the area, its impact is still felt
“But for us, the bigger issue is the cutting down of trees. That has significantly affected our weather and made weather prediction more difficult,” she said.
As part of the project’s ongoing development, data was collected during the stakeholder session.
Team members Esmond Adjei and Mackleode Ben-Boulo conducted the data collection, under the oversight of Dr. Caleb Melenya Ocansey.
Dr. Bessah stated that a future goal of the project is to use this kind of technology to support national strategies such as reforestation.
“If farmers are happy and producing food, our nation will benefit—and we can reduce food imports,” he said.
Mr. William Asante Lopez, the Municipal Extension Officer for Assin Fosu, said the app would help farmers better understand rainfall patterns and make timely planting decisions.
Mr. William Asante Lopez, the Municipal Extension Officer, Assin Fosu District
“With the introduction of this project, I believe most of our farmers will now know how and when to plant,” he said.
He commended the team for introducing the app to local farmers.
The AI4SD’s app aims to help farmers reduce losses, make informed choices, and improve food production—contributing to long-term agricultural development in the region.
