Ghanaian farmers gain cutting-edge weather tools with AI4SD's smart indigenous app

Farmers in Ghana's Assin Fosu District now have access to revolutionary weather prediction technology through a new mobile application developed by Artificial Intelligence For Sustainable Development (AI4SD). The Smart Indigenous Weather App merges traditional forecasting knowledge with advanced machine learning to provide localized agricultural insights, marking a significant leap in climate-smart farming solutions. 

During a recent stakeholder engagement, AI4SD's agriculture team, led by Dr. Eric Tutu Tchao and Rev. Dr. Prince Odame, demonstrated how the app solves critical challenges faced under previous systems. Dr. Enoch Bessah, who spearheaded the technical presentation, contrasted the new solution with earlier European-developed tools that required labor-intensive monthly data collection trips. "We frequently encountered lost data—whether from accidental deletion or children playing with phones—which compromised our prediction accuracy despite some farmers achieving 82% reliability," Dr. Bessah explained. 

The locally developed app transforms this process through cloud-based remote data access, eliminating physical collection needs while preserving valuable information. "This technological shift doesn't just save time—it enhances prediction precision, refines our AI models, and ultimately helps farmers avoid devastating crop losses," Dr. Bessah emphasized, noting how poor weather timing can destroy livelihoods for farmers operating on borrowed capital. 

Funded by the French Embassy in Ghana with additional support from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Canada's International Development Research Centre, the initiative addresses both agricultural productivity and environmental challenges specific to the region. By combining indigenous knowledge with artificial intelligence, the solution represents a tailored approach to climate adaptation—one that respects local context while leveraging modern technology. 

As farmers begin implementing these hyperlocal forecasts, the project demonstrates how African-developed AI solutions can bridge technology gaps more effectively than imported systems.

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye