FarmNet: A Smart IoT and Market Linked Platform for Modernizing Agriculture in Uganda

Uganda’s agriculture is evolving with medium-scale and institutional farmsincreasingly seeking data-driven solutions to enhance productivity, efficiency, andmarket competitiveness. However, most digital tools available today are designedfor subsistence farmers and fail to address the complexity and scale of largerfarming operations. This research introduces FarmNet, a smart agriculture platformthat integrates real-time environmental monitoring with digital marketconnectivity. FarmNet utilizes IoT-based sensors, edge computing, and centralizeddashboards to collect, process, and visualize soil, climate, and crop data. It alsoconnects farmers with live market feeds, forecast trends, and buyer–sellernetworks. Designed to support professional farm managers, cooperatives, andinvestors, FarmNet offers scalability, multi-crop monitoring, and integration withexternal APIs. Preliminary design and conceptual validation suggest improvedplanning accuracy, reduced resource waste, and enhanced profitability. This studycontributes to Uganda’s digital agriculture transformation by providing aframework for precision farming and market intelligence integration