Pessl Instruments Founder and CEO Gottfried Pessl showcases the company’s smart weather monitoring technologies to Austrian Ambassador to Kenya Simone Knapp, during the launch of UpYield4Africa in Nairobi/ HANDOUT

Kenya is set to receive 15,000 smart weather stations in an ambitious agricultural technology programme by Austrian firm Pessl Instruments, which plans to install up to 100,000 devices across Africa.

The rollout, which will be implemented under the company's METOS brand, seeks to equip smallholder farmers with real-time weather and soil information to improve agricultural decisions, manage climate risks and raise productivity.

The initiative, known as UpYield4Africa, was launched in Nairobi on Friday, bringing together technology companies, agricultural businesses, financial institutions and other stakeholders to explore the commercial application of digital farming.

The weather stations will collect field-level data on rainfall, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and leaf wetness, transmitting the information to Pessl's FieldClimate digital platform.

Through online and mobile applications, farmers will be able to access localised weather forecasts, crop disease models and other agricultural insights to guide decisions throughout the production cycle.

Pessl Instruments founder and chief executive Gottfried Pessl said the technology would help farmers reduce dependence on traditional weather patterns and make decisions based on accurate, location-specific information.

"Smallholder farmers need reliable, localised information to make better decisions throughout the farming cycle. By combining field-level measurements with weather forecasts and disease models, we can help farmers anticipate risks, improve resource utilisation and increase productivity," he said.

The data will help farmers determine when to plant, irrigate and apply fertiliser, while improving pest and disease management and preparation for extreme weather conditions.

Pessl Instruments will partner with AgriMet Data Kenya to implement the programme locally.

The Kenyan firm will oversee distribution, installation and maintenance of the stations, as well as farmer training and technical support.

Austrian Ambassador to Kenya Simone Knapp said the programme reflected growing cooperation between Kenya and Austria in applying technology to address food security and agricultural productivity challenges.

She said access to real-time weather information would strengthen farmers' ability to anticipate changing conditions, manage crop diseases and improve production decisions.

Linking production to markets and finance

Beyond weather monitoring, UpYield4Africa is seeking to address structural weaknesses in smallholder agriculture by connecting farmers to input suppliers, agricultural advisers, financial institutions, shared infrastructure and commercial buyers.

The programme will organise farmers into production clusters supported by Digital Farm Advisors, who will help translate data generated by the weather stations into practical farming recommendations.

The advisers will also support farmers in selecting appropriate inputs, coordinating production and aligning output with the quality, volume and delivery requirements of commercial buyers.

The model seeks to address persistent challenges in Kenya's agricultural sector, including fragmented production, inadequate extension services, unpredictable weather, limited access to credit and difficulties supplying consistent volumes to formal markets.

By linking farmers to produce buyers before and during the production cycle, the initiative hopes to improve market certainty and reduce the risks associated with producing crops without guaranteed outlets.

The programme also envisages generating income through crop sales and paid agricultural services, with revenue helping sustain the technology infrastructure and advisory network.

Financing model targets smallholders

The initiative is also exploring a financing arrangement involving Austrian financing institutions and a Kenyan banking partner to support investment in agricultural equipment and production.

Under the proposed structure, financing would be channelled through a cluster company or produce offtaker, with eligible equipment and crop purchase arrangements serving as part of the financing framework.

The arrangement is intended to reduce the pressure on individual smallholder farmers to provide land or personal assets as collateral when seeking credit.

However, the financing structure is still subject to lender due diligence, eligibility requirements and approvals from participating institutions, including Austria's OeKB. KCB's participation remains provisional, with final financing terms yet to be agreed.

The Nairobi launch brought together players across the agricultural value chain, including Safaricom, Bayer Crop Science, Lindsay, HZPC and Viazi, X Green Capital, FreshCrop Limited and SAI Platform.

Discussions focused on integrating agricultural technologies, the economic benefits of digital farming, farmer adoption and the long-term commercial sustainability of community-based production systems.

A live demonstration of METOS technology and panel discussions examining the role of agricultural data in improving production and financing formed part of the launch.

The proposed rollout comes as climate variability, rising production costs and pressure to improve food security increase the need for more efficient agricultural production systems across Africa.

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Weiz, Austria, Pessl Instruments develops agricultural monitoring and decision-support technologies under its METOS brand.

Its products include weather stations, soil monitoring equipment and digital agricultural intelligence platforms.

The company operates in 85 countries through affiliates, subsidiaries and distribution partners.

Its FieldClimate platform, which provides weather information and agricultural decision-support tools, has been available since 2005.