Kenneth Agyei

Transformed smallholder farming in Ghana through mobile agri-tech with AgroCenta

Kenneth Agyei is a Ghanaian innovator behind AgroCenta, a digital platform connecting over 500,000 farmers to markets, credit, and advisory services. Launched in 2015, AgroCenta's SMS-based system provides weather forecasts, crop prices, and pest control tips, reducing post-harvest losses by 30%. Agyei's breakthrough came with AgroLoan, a microfinance product offering 0% interest loans to farmers using satellite data as collateral—a model replicated in Malawi and Zambia. His work with the CGIAR consortium led to drought-resistant maize varieties distributed to 200,000 households. Agyei's TEDxAccra talk "Farmers Need Data, Not Sympathy" argues that tech literacy is key to Africa's food security. Partnering with MTN Ghana, he developed AgroCenta Radio, a mobile app broadcasting agricultural tips in local languages. Recognized as a Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 (2018), his initiatives contributed to a 22% increase in cocoa yields in Ghana's Brong Ahafo region. Agyei's open-source tools like the Farmer Dashboard API are now used by UN FAO programs in Nigeria and Ethiopia, proving technology's role in elevating rural economies.