Reaching Swazi Farmers Through CATI

Gabon’s agricultural sector has a distinctive challenge: the country has abundant natural resources and a large forest landscape, yet still relies heavily on imported food. Agriculture is concentrated around food crops such as cassava, plantain, bananas, maize and vegetables, while rural producers often face limited access to markets, transport, inputs and agricultural services. For organizations working to strengthen local food production, understanding these gaps requires regular insight from the farmers and households behind the numbers.

Technology is making that insight easier to collect. Through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), CATI Africa gives research teams a direct way to speak with farmers and agricultural households across Gabon. Telephone surveys can capture what farmers are producing, where they obtain inputs, how they sell their produce, what limits their productivity and whether agricultural programs are actually improving their livelihoods.

Supporting Agricultural Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

For agricultural research and M&E, CATI helps researchers and organisations to:

• Understand how weather and water conditions are affecting farm production
• Track farmers' access to inputs, markets, and agricultural support
• Capture differences between commercial and household farming activities
• Follow changes in agricultural income, food production, and livelihoods

Eswatini's mix of commercial agriculture and rural farming also means that agricultural programmes need to understand more than production figures. Farmers can provide valuable insights into the costs they face, access to markets, support received, and how changing conditions are influencing their decisions.

Across Eswatini, organisations can use CATI for:

• Maize production and food security research
• Sugarcane and commercial agriculture studies
• Climate-smart farming and drought resilience research
• Agricultural market and farmer income assessments

At CATI Africa, we help governments, NGOs, development partners, agribusinesses, and research institutions collect reliable agricultural data through professionally managed telephone surveys in Eswatini. Our CATI services help organisations stay connected with farmers, monitor agricultural programmes, and generate evidence that supports stronger decisions around food security, farming, and rural livelihoods.