A research-led mobile app developed for Elanco's MAHABA initiative put tick identification, acaricide guidance, and veterinary access into the hands of small-scale livestock farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.
Tick-borne disease was costing Uganda's livestock farmers over a billion dollars a year, and most had no reliable source of guidance. Before building anything, Folio3 Agtech conducted structured field research across five Ugandan regions to understand how farmers actually used digital tools. The result was Tick Academy, a multilingual cross-platform app built on real farmer behavior, not assumptions.
Elanco Animal Health is a global leader in animal health with over 65 years of experience, operating in 90+ countries with more than 10,200 employees and annual revenue of $4.4B. Listed on the NYSE, Elanco serves farmers, veterinarians, and pet owners with products and programs designed to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets worldwide.
Industry
Animal Health / Agricultural Development
Geography Served
Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa
Technology
Cross-Platform Mobile App (iOS and Android)
Annual livestock losses in Uganda from tick-borne diseases
Of Uganda's cattle infested with ticks at the time of the initiative
Ugandan households depending on cattle for their livelihoods
Uganda and Nigeria targeted under the MAHABA initiative
Ticks were destroying Uganda's cattle herds. That much was clear from the numbers. What field research across five Ugandan regions revealed was something harder to see from the outside. Farmers had smartphones. They were actively searching for answers. But only 27% were well-informed about the acaricides available to them, and no reliable digital tool existed to fill that gap. The problem was not just biological. It was a breakdown in access to knowledge.
Only 27% of farmers were well-informed about acaricides on the market. Widespread misuse accelerated tick resistance and caused preventable treatment failures across herds.
Farmers depended on vets and peer networks for product guidance. Fewer than 3% accessed reliable information through formal media or agricultural workshops.
Fake and substandard acaricides were common in rural markets. Farmers had no way to verify product quality or locate certified suppliers nearby.
Over 80% of farmers lived in rural areas with poor internet access. No tick management content existed in local Ugandan languages.
Folio3 Agtech did not start with wireframes or a feature list. The first step was understanding how Uganda's livestock farmers actually lived with their phones, what they searched for, what language they used, and where connectivity failed them. Only after that field work was complete did the build begin. Every platform decision that followed was traceable to something a farmer said or a gap the research exposed.
Conducted a structured study across five Ugandan regions with 37 farmers to map smartphone behavior, content needs, language preferences, and rural connectivity realities before any design began.
Field research confirmed 90% Android adoption and widespread offline requirements. Every build decision was grounded in actual farmer data, not standard assumptions or default development templates.
Designed a dual-language structure with English navigation and local-language video, voice-over, and directive content across Luganda, Lusoga, Ateso, Runyakole, and Luo.
Built a gamified point system, peer referral mechanic, and community knowledge-sharing layer to drive ongoing farmer participation beyond one-time content consumption.
Integrated a location-based finder connecting farmers directly to nearby veterinarians, paravets, and certified acaricide retailers to bridge the last mile of product access.
Tick Academy is a cross-platform educational app available on iOS and Android, designed for small-scale livestock producers across sub-Saharan Africa. It combines structured tick management education, local-language content, gamified learning, and location-based services into a single tool farmers can use with or without internet access. Every feature traces back to a specific gap identified in the pre-build field research.
English navigation with local-language video and voice content across five Ugandan languages, meeting farmers in their preferred communication style.
Structured educational content helps farmers identify tick species, understand infestation levels, and recognize early warning signs before herds are affected.
Step-by-step product application instructions, dosage guidance, and rotation protocols delivered in formats farmers can follow without prior technical training.
Farmers earn points by completing educational modules. Points are redeemable for in-app rewards and serve as measurable markers of tick management expertise.
Users earn points for referring fellow farmers, turning active users into a peer distribution channel that extends reach through existing community trust networks.
Location-based finder connects farmers to nearby veterinarians, paravets, and certified acaricide retailers with a single tap, removing the guesswork from product access.
Full content download capability lets farmers learn and reference materials without internet connectivity, ensuring the tool works where tick pressure is highest.
Push notifications remind farmers of tick treatment schedules and seasonal acaricide application windows, reducing gaps in herd protection between active learning sessions.
"This took real effort from everyone involved, and the result speaks for itself. What excites me most is not just the platform we built, it is what it represents for farmers who have never had reliable guidance on tick control before. We designed this to make a genuine difference in how small-scale livestock producers in Uganda manage their herds, and I am confident Tick Academy will do exactly that. This is the kind of work that stays with you."
Veerle Hamaekers
Global Launch Lead Farm Animal, Elanco
Tick Academy moved tick management guidance from scarce and unreliable to structured, accessible, and always available. Farmers across Uganda can now identify tick species, access certified product guidance, and locate nearby veterinary support. Plus, they can share knowledge with their communities in their own language, on the device already in their pocket, with or without an internet connection.
Tick Academy started with field research and ended with a platform farmers trust. We can do the same for your operation.
Let's explore what's possible for your operation.
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