Smallholder farmers produce nearly one-third of the world’s food, yet they are often the most underserved when it comes to access to critical resources like expert advice, climate data, and financing. At Soil Solutions, we created Farm Assist, an AI-powered multilingual chatbot, to change that reality—by bringing timely, accurate, and locally relevant farming support directly into farmers’ hands.
In this blog, we share why this mission matters, how our technology works, and what the future holds for AI in agriculture.
The Real Challenges Smallholder Farmers Face
Despite their crucial role in global food systems, smallholder farmers across Africa and other parts of the Global South often operate at the margins. They struggle with:
Limited access to agricultural extension officers
Lack of real-time information on crop diseases or climate change
Barriers to financial credit due to lack of formal data or identity
Poor visibility into fair market prices
These issues are compounded by climate shocks, fragmented markets, and inadequate infrastructure. As a result, farmers face poor yields, income instability, and food insecurity.
A New Era: How AI is Changing the Landscape
The rise of AI offers new hope. Across the world, AI tools are helping to bridge the knowledge and financing gap. From satellite-based credit scoring to machine-learning powered agronomy advice, the shift is underway.
At Farm Assist, we’re proud to be leading this charge. Our AI chatbot is trained to speak over 125 languages, including local dialects, and can provide tailored advice on:
Climate-resilient agriculture
Real-time weather updates
Current market prices
Soil health and testing
Pest and disease management
Animal and crop farming best practices
Farmers can interact with Farm Assist through mobile web or even USSD, making it accessible even in areas with low connectivity.
Our Impact So Far
Since launch, over 100,000 farmers have been directly or indirectly impacted by Farm Assist. Here’s what we’ve achieved together:
Delivered instant agronomic support in multiple languages
Provided real-time market data, improving negotiation power
Reduced reliance on middlemen and low-quality inputs
Helped rural farmers increase yields and farm profitability
We’ve also been proud finalists at the 2025 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, recognized in the AI for the Planet category. This is a strong validation of our innovation and commitment to climate-resilient agriculture.
How Farm Assist Works
Farm Assist is built on a blend of:
Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand diverse user inputs
Machine Learning models trained on agronomic datasets
Knowledge graphs to serve intelligent, structured advice
Firebase and cloud backend for scalability and secure user sessions
The chatbot evolves with every conversation, learning from user interactions and feedback to improve its accuracy and relevance.
What Farmers Are Saying
The feedback has been deeply encouraging. Farmers tell us they feel more empowered and confident in their decisions. Some say they no longer have to wait weeks for an extension officer or risk planting at the wrong time. Local cooperatives have even begun integrating Farm Assist into their support programs.
Challenges and How We’re Solving Them
Of course, innovation isn’t without hurdles. We’ve faced:
Internet connectivity issues in remote areas
Language diversity requiring robust NLP capabilities
High SMS delivery costs for offline access
Resistance to new technology among some traditional users
Our solution? We’ve built lightweight interfaces, prioritized local dialects, and leaned on feedback loops to constantly improve usability.
Collaborations That Power Our Mission
Farm Assist would not be possible without the support of our partners:
Firebase & Google for cloud infrastructure and SMS OTP
Microsoft AI for Good Volunteers, who contribute AI development expertise,
Ghana’s Ministry of Agriculture. These collaborations are crucial for scaling our reach and deepening our impact.
The Future of AI in Agriculture
AI is just getting started. In the years ahead, we see a future where:
Every smallholder farmer can access real-time advice in their own language
Data from satellites, drones, and sensors integrate seamlessly with AI tools
Personalized finance and insurance products are unlocked via AI insights
Food insecurity is reduced through smarter decision-making
We are committed to being a part of this future—and bringing Africa’s farmers along with us.
Final Word
At Soil Solutions – Farm Assist, we believe that farming should not be a guessing game. It should be data-driven, climate-smart, and inclusive.
If you’re an investor, policymaker, development partner, or fellow innovator—join us. Let’s build a future where no farmer is left behind.
