An Innovative Africa Agribusiness Ecosystem Model solving farmer Access and Climate Resilience problems using mobile Tech – enabled Climate-smart Advisory bundled in Agri-Inputs, Agri-Finance and Agri-Produce Marketplace Platform.
We are helping to digitize the agribusiness value chain in Tanzania by providing small holder farmers and Micro-small to medium Enterprises with access to:
- quality inputs
- timely delivery of services
- quality information
- financial support and inclusion,
Supported by SATF, their village digital agent (VIDA) digital platform allows farmers to have individual wallets to give their group business a digital footprint.
DMA Agents visit groups and small holder farmers to:
- facilitate profiling
- train groups on savings for inputs
- encourage them to open group bank accounts
VSLAs, FPOs and AMCOs can open a bank account and start saving towards inputs. With out digital platform a group can manage savings information for members to reconcile with individual savings goals. Group members can use our digital platforms to order inputs from DMA marketplace
Farmers can:
- view notifications of every deposit or withdrawal on their wallet
- view notifications of every input purchases
- check savings statements on their own
- hold a card that is linked to their savings wallets.
We currently earn Bulk Input Supplier Discount and markup by up to 30% and have grown at 20% Season by Season, our Input Sales turnover has topped $300K in 2 season with just 6000 Active Farmers. We expect to grow our farmer base to over 1Million in 5 years. We plan to earn up to 40% markup revenues from Agri-produce selling and up to 5% commissions on value added Services from our MNO, Bank, Insurance $ Merchant partnerships. Agro dealer revenue data shows 250 ledgers with $7 Million turnover between 2019-2020 DMS will earn between 7-11% in sales, revenues from this distribution network.
We collect and combine farm produce from
- smallholder farmers
- farmer groups
- farmer producer organizations,
- supermarkets
- restaurants
- food processors
The first step in produce aggregation is to identify the farmers who will supply the produce. This can be done through profiling
- individual farmers
- farmer groups
- cooperatives
We have established central collection points where produce is then sorted and graded according to quality standards.
After sorting and grading, the produce is packaged and transported to the buyers. The buyers may require additional processing such as washing, trimming, or packaging before the produce is sold to consumers.
Over the years, we found several benefits of produce aggregation for smallholder farmers.
- It allows them to access markets that they would not be able to reach on their own, which can increase their income and improve their livelihoods
- It also helps them to improve the quality of their crops by providing training on good agricultural practices
Off-takers are an important part of this process as they provide a market for smallholder farmers to sell their produce. By connecting smallholder farmers with off-takers, projects can help to improve the livelihoods of farmers and increase food security in the region.
They play an important role in the agricultural value chain by providing a market for smallholder farmers to sell their produce. Off-takers can be individuals, companies, or organizations that purchase produce in bulk from farmers.
Off-takers can provide several benefits to smallholder farmers. They can help to stabilize prices by providing a guaranteed market for farmers’ produce. This can help to reduce the risk of price fluctuations due to changes in supply and demand. We work together with off-takers in providing technical assistance and training to farmers to help them improve the quality of their crops.
Off-takers can also benefit from working with us. By working with DMA, off-takers can reduce their costs and improve their supply chain efficiency. They can also improve their reputation by supporting local communities and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
After collecting farm produce from smallholder farmers, DMA works with processors who convert farm produce into value-added products such as
- canned goods
- Oils
- juices
- sauces
Working with farm produce processors provided several benefits to to both smallholder farmers and DMA.
- They can help to stabilize prices by providing a guaranteed market for farmers’ produce. This can help to reduce the risk of price fluctuations due to changes in supply and demand.
- Farm produce processors can also provide technical assistance and training to farmers to help them improve the quality of their crops
Farm produce processors can also benefit from working with DMA and smallholder farmers. By purchasing produce directly from us, they can reduce their costs and improve their supply chain efficiency. They can also improve their reputation by supporting local communities and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
DMA provides a set of services targeted to help farmers to improve their agricultural output. These services may include
- technical assistance
- sharing of knowledge about efficient crop production
- risk management advice
- financial literacy
They can be delivered through various channels such as
- DMA field based agents
- field demonstrations
- farmer field schools
- radio programs
- mobile phone applications
Why?
The goal of extension services is to help farmers adopt new technologies and practices that can improve their productivity and income. We provide farmers with information on best practices for
- soil management
- crop selection
- disease control
- pest control
- financial planning
We find these services as particularly important for smallholder farmers who may not have access to the latest agricultural technologies or information. By providing these farmers with the knowledge and skills they need to improve their yields and incomes, our services can help to improve food security in rural areas and across the whole region.