Ku-Lima“to farm”

Free farming intelligence, straight to your phone.

Ku-Lima delivers weather forecasts, crop advisories, and live market prices to smallholder farmers across Zambia — by SMS today and USSD soon, no internet needed.

SMS alerts live on Airtel & MTN
Free to use Any phone Airtel & MTN
How it works

Three steps. Any phone. No airtime for data.

Dial the USSD code

On any phone — smartphone or button phone. Just dial and press call.

Short code announced at launchSoon

Choose your service

Crop advice, crop prices or your farm profile — pick a number from the menu.

Reply 1 for crop advice, 3 for crop prices

Get your answer

Instantly on screen — or subscribe and get SMS alerts when it matters.

Texts arrive from “Ku-Lima”
Four live services

Answers for the decisions that matter this season.

All four are live in Ku-Lima today, and SMS alerts are running on Airtel and MTN. USSD access is launching soon.

Weather Forecast

Rain and temperature for your province, with heavy-rain and dry-spell warnings.

Example reply
Lusaka · Thu 27° · light showers, 6mm. Good day to weed.
Open Weather Forecast

Market Prices

Crop prices per kg, dated, so you know what your harvest is worth before you sell.

Example reply
Maize · K6.94/kg · FRA floor price, as of 24 Jul 2026.
Open Market Prices

El Niño Advisory

Season risk by district, and what to plant and when to protect your crop.

Example reply
Southern: high risk. Plant drought-tolerant seed after 20mm rain.
Open El Niño Advisory

Field Report

Crop-by-crop guidance for your area — planting window, varieties, pests and yields.

Example reply
Groundnuts · Eastern · High suitability. Plant Nov–Dec.
Get a Field Report
The Ku-Lima app

Got a smartphone? Get the full picture.

The same farming intelligence in more depth — install it from your browser, no app store needed. It keeps your last data saved, so it still works when signal drops.

Field report for your cropPick a crop, province and water source. Get suitability, expected yield, costs and returns, varieties, planting calendar, pests and a week-by-week task plan.
Market prices with trendsMinistry of Agriculture averages per kg, dated, with price movement so you know when to sell.
Weather & riskMET Norway forecasts for your province, flood and drought risk, and the El Niño 2026/27 advisory.
Sign up for SMS alertsEnter your number once — heavy-rain and dry-spell alerts arrive from “Ku-Lima” on Airtel and MTN.
Free, no account Works offline Farming news from FAO & FEWS NET
Open the Ku-Lima app Then tap Install app to add it to your home screen.
Interactive preview Sample data — tap around
Why Ku-Lima

Built for the farm, not the office.

No app to download, no data bundle, no account. If your phone can make a call, it can use Ku-Lima.

01

Free to use

A public service. No fees to subscribe, no hidden charges — farmers keep every kwacha.

02

Works on any phone

Button phone or smartphone — the same alerts, the same answers. No app store, no upgrade needed.

03

No internet needed

SMS reaches you wherever there’s signal — and USSD is coming next.

04

Airtel & MTN

Live on both networks. Texts come from registered sender “Ku-Lima”.

05

Powered by Akili Ventures

Built and run in Lusaka by Akili Ventures Limited — for Zambian farmers, by Zambians.

Start today

Your season starts here.

Open Ku-Lima and sign up for free SMS alerts from “Ku-Lima” today. A USSD short code for any phone is on its way — tell a neighbour.

Available on
Airtel
MTN