Tlhatloso Agro integration

Tlhatloso Agro-integration is a smart farm that produces yellow sorghum, and maize, alternating them with Tswana and Black-eyed cowpeas to help with food insecurity in Africa, and malnourishment of children

Crop health imaging, integrated GIS mapping, ease of usage, time savings, and the potential to boost yields are all advantages of using drones. Soil and field analysis, planting and irrigation, as well as crop monitoring and assessment will all be possible with strategy and planning based on real-time data collecting and processing.

Data from one farm may be readily and quickly captured and shared around other networks via blockchain, while remaining secure from tampering. This allows Tlhatloso Agro-integration farm from various locations to share essential information that will serve as the foundation for their expertise and, as a result, the development of their farming techniques. We can also respond more quickly to warnings, threats, and other unfavorable and frequently infamous conditions....

Precision agriculture and internet of things; farmers to reduce waste and enhance productivity ranging from the quantity of fertilizer utilized to the number of journeys the farm drones. Basically, here is where we will link everything else together, the human expertise and technology together with the data. We will be able to execute the direct quantification in the variables like pesticides and distribute them to the rate that they are required using drones.

Tlhatloso agro-integration will be focusing on the integration farming. The idea is to incorporate technology into agriculture for efficiency, effectiveness and productivity increment. Succeeding in that will mean direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Employment opportunities will include ICT project analysts, data managers, application developers, information system analysts, software developers, ICT risk specialists, programmer analysts and others. The experts listed above plus those from BUAN such as soil scientists, crop scientists, agricultural economists, soil and water conservation engineers, will ensure a success of the business. 

The project will also address issues that contribute to climate change, which is one of the world's most serious crises. The replacement of much of the outdated and heavy agricultural machinery that emits fumes with drones that utilize electricity is a step toward reducing agriculture's contribution to climate problems. The technology, however, also emphasizes the precise and exact administration of fertilizers, pesticides, and any other chemical that may be employed. This means that it will be applied to locations where it is required in the quantities required. This means that the plants will use all of the chemicals and there will be none left behind.

A system is constructed for monitoring the agricultural field with the help of sensors (light, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, and so on) and automating the irrigation system in IoT-based smart farming. Farmers can keep an eye on their fields from anywhere. When compared to the traditional way, IoT-based smart farming is extremely efficient.

As it solves the issue of food insecurity, my approach will benefit individuals from all walks of life. Despite being the world's largest producer of food, Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to food poverty. 

The solution will first benefit children under the age of ten, who are disproportionately malnourished. According to studies, the number of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa who are undernourished increased from 181 million in 2010 to around 222 million in 2016. Although the frequency of stunting among children has dropped from 38.3% in 2000 to 30.3 percent in 2017, the number of children affected has increased from 50.6 million to 58.7 million as a result of population expansion. Land and agricultural deterioration, repeated droughts and weather-related shocks, poverty, and inadequate access to water are all contributing causes.According to studies, the African continent will struggle to feed its own population in the near future, as agricultural yields per acre in Sub-Saharan Africa (where I live) are already low. So now is the best moment for me to get started on this project.

This project also aims to employ and mentor youth in my country and continent in contemporary technology agriculture, which is both efficient and effective in terms of production and profitable. I encourage people to embrace modern agriculture that is both environmentally friendly and sustainable.

I've done a few studies, including my final year project at university, which looked into the influence of a program in my country called ISPAAD, which aims to encourage individuals to grow crops for profit by providing them with machinery, seeds, and other production needed. I was evaluating its impact on sorghum production in Botswana.

I was able to contact with other farmers from various places as well as read various papers and literature from other researchers and professionals in the subject as part of this research.

So far, I've worked with Botswana Innovation Hub and competed in their innovation concept competition, where I just made it to the top ten. To design a path forward for this project, I'm currently looking into partnering with several parties, including the government and my former university, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

To ensure success and learning for myself and everyone else involved, I'd like to bring in a variety of stakeholders and experts in the industry.

Drone technology and data analytics; the use of drones include crop health imaging, integrated GIS mapping, ease of use, saves time, and the potential to increase yields. With strategy and planning based on real-time data collection and processing, will be able to do soil and field analysis, planting and irrigation as well as crop monitoring and assessment.  

Blockchain; through this development, data from one farm can be recorded easily and fast and shared among other networks but still be protected from being altered. This gives Tlhatloso Agro-integration farm from different places to actually share useful information that would be the building block to their knowledge and hence development of their farming practices. We can also respond to warnings, threats as well as other undesirable and often infamous circumstances more promptly as compared to ordinary farm.

Precision agriculture and internet of things; farmers to reduce waste and enhance productivity ranging from the quantity of fertilizer utilized to the number of journeys the farm drones. Basically, here is where we will link everything else together, the human expertise and technology together with the data. We will be able to execute the direct quantification in the variables like pesticides and distribute them to the rate that they are required using drones.

This solution will benefit over 2.5 million individuals in Botswana over the course of a year, as well as over 1.3 billion people throughout Africa and the rest of the world in the long run.

A normal 10 hectares farm will produce about 63 tonnes of cereals. Considering the losses that are incurred due to lack of precision and accuracy as well as labour productivity of people which is a lot slower than that of machinery only about 70 percent of the harvest, approximately 44.1 tonnes will be accumulated and the rest goes to waste. Now considering smart farm, only about 10 percent is lost so that means that over 56.7 tonnes of cereals will be harvested. The number of tonnes of those imported cereals will go down significantly and as the farm hectares increase they will get lesser and ultimately Botswana will be food self-sufficient. 

Currently I have no finances. All the other things are available such as resources, including support from universities, government offices, friends and family and other resources. Money will allow me to aquire land and equipment to start producing.

I am an agricultural economist, with a certificate in Robotic Process Automation as well as Blockchain. 

I have previously worked at Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Botswana under the Research and modelling unit where I:
1. Authored reports and articles for statistical publications including State of Nation Address, Budget Speech Review and NDP 11 Review
2. Forecasted and updated Midterm Review financial reporting and evaluation.
3. Compiled the quarterly Economic Bulletin for 2nd quarter ended July 2019.
4.Advocated for 4th Industrial revolution engagements to raise standards of living for Batswana and development of Botswana.

I have also in led team Botswana as delegates leader in the 2020 teleconference that was hosted by Turkish government held under the theme :Digital World: In the Aftermath of COVID-19 where we discussed in depth the impact COVID-19 has had in terms of health, education, social life etc and discussed a way forward from this and also how digital technology can be used to ensure that in the future the consequences are not a dire as they currently are.

I had previously worked with Botswana Innovation Hub and they offered me mentorship when I was in their competition.