June 16, 2023
There are many different approaches and practices when it comes to farming, but one thing is constant – to run your farm as a business, you need to be able to sell your product. To sell his product, a farmer or rancher must be visible to buyers, and buyers must have an easy way to reach producers.
This was one of the problems faced by the USDA’s Field Agricultural Service in West Africa and East Africa. In all regions, small farmers and buyers struggled to match and sell goods, resulting in food waste and lost opportunities for small farming communities.
To help solve this market problem, FAS turned to an innovative US-based technology company, Agromovil, whose agtech platform helps buyers and sellers connect. Starting in October 2022, FAS provided funding through the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), allowing Agromovil to launch a pilot of its app with sorghum producers. FAS has also partnered with Agromovil in Tanzania, where the company partnered with the Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA) to work with onion and avocado growers and buyers. This project was funded by USAID and Tanzania.
This new tool has received great feedback from farmers in Ghana and Tanzania. “Sometimes when we harvest, we find it difficult to sell our produce. The Agromovil app helps us see buyers from different places and make sure our products are sold.” said Bindaw Ramani Musah, a Ghanaian farmer and user of the Agromovil app.
“I am happy now that I have subscribed to the app. I would recommend my fellow avocado growers to sign up as long as they have avocado trees. Also, I urge my fellow parents who are new to technology not to be afraid. It is simple. Ask your kids to help you register, even they can do it.” added Frank Mbiwilo, a Tanzanian farmer who is a user of the app.
This approach provides significant benefits to the Ghanaian and Tanzanian agricultural industries. The app provides visibility that helps, for example, farmers to be more efficient and connect directly with buyers, resulting in increased producer incomes. This increase in farmers’ income will also help stimulate growth in agricultural trade.
Furthermore, while women farmers do much of the work of African agriculture, we know that they often receive less than men for their produce. Agromovil can serve as an equalizer, giving all users equal access to buyers and giving women-owned farmers a better chance to succeed in the agricultural sector.
Since the full launch of Agromovil in both countries in 2022, more than 1,600 farmers and buyers have signed up, resulting in sales of agricultural products exceeding $3.5 million. More than half of the farmers using the app are young farmers, boosting diversity and creating a stronger new generation of farmers in both African countries.