By George Munene
The Hello Tractor platform is an innovative tool for tractor owners and farmers that helps track all their tractor(s)’ activities remotely, enabling them to easily manage their fleet.
Through the Hello Tractor app, tractor owners can hire out their tractors at a fee. This allows small scale who do not own tractors to book them as agri-mechanization service providers.
Founded in 2014 by social entrepreneur and CEO Jehiel Oliver, Hello Tractor is an award-winning IoT platform that has been in the Kenyan marketplace for three years but started commercial operations officially in 2019.
“With 300 farmers already onboarded, the reception thus far has been great. Tractor owners now have a platform that can provide them with data that allows them to manage their tractors. They are also able to earn from providing services to farmers. Farmers for their part have access to affordable mechanization services they can rely on,” said Kelvin Murithi of Volcano Growers, a Hello Tractor Partner.
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It has enabled small-scale farmers to be able to mechanise their farming; preparing their farms in time with the proper equipment which in turn increases their yield.
Tractor owners for their part are able to more efficiently manage their fleet which saves them money.
For booking agents, there is a commission earned every time they request services on behalf of farmers.
Once a tractor is fitted with the monitoring device it is then onboarded onto the Hello Tractor App. This application allows the owner to manage their fleet; they get reports on tractor activities, alerts, and indicators on tractor movements, as well as reporting and analytics on tractor and fleet engine hours, working area, and work time.
The tractor’s performance is also measured; cumulative work area with accompanying land maps and work time as well as informing on the tractor’s uptime/efficiency.
Addedly, a farmer can get booked for ploughing jobs using the Hello Tractor App which supplements their income.
Other features include an exact update on fuel usage, with alerts in case of a sudden drop in fuel levels.
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There’s also a tractor immobilization feature that allows the owner to remotely turn off the tractor. They can geofence the tractor to work on specified regions and create an alert that notifies them when the tractor leaves the area. They can then immobilise the tractor if this is not adhered to.
The tractor owner can even download work reports for a select time period.
The Hello Tractor device is charged a one-time fee of Sh12,100. The entire bouquet costs Sh 34,100–an annual subscription fee of Sh 22,000 and the device’s fee and its installation.
It is available in all major towns across Kenya.
Hello Tractor: 0720402693