ÖMKi organized a farmers’ meeting and workshop in Füzesgyarmat in the Southern Great Plain, where the focus was on close cooperation and joint work with farmers. In addition to discussing the results so far and future plans, the farmers present had the opportunity to get to know the Phito application, which they could download and try out on the spot.
Guiding Farmers towards digitalization
During the meeting, the background of Phito and the role of the Great Plain as a Food System 4 in the project were discussed. We emphasised that the farmers’ input is essential in the development of the App. This was a great reminder to show the farmers who participated in our previous user needs assessment discussions and focus groups (in Bugac on 19th April, 2024) that Phito is aiming to tackle the challenges they face. Altogether, they provided a very good basis for the current prototype, for which were are eternally grateful.
What are the expectations from Farming digitalisation?
Some of the participants had already downloaded the Phito app and tried it out, but farmers who were just getting to know it also thought that overall it could be a useful tool for them in the future.
They now also believe that community building and sharing good practices remains a priority in the region, but there is still a lot of work to be done to do this effectively. Farming digitalisation needs to keep up not only with the consumer market and expectations but also with the new situations that are emerging as a result of climate change. A proper forecasting system or a map-based network of connections can help to do this.
Strong relationships and trust
During the user needs assessment and testing of the first version of the Phito app, a number of ideas and suggestions were received that we at ÖMKi will definitely take into account in the future. We will incorporate these farmer experiences and we thank our partners for their comments.
