Linking farmers to agro input supply chains from global to local levels

1. Linking farmers to agro input supply chains from global to local levels Using ICT to deploy agro input market information systems in sub-Saharan Africa Patrice Annequin | MIS specialist | IFDC | Accra, Ghana | pannequin@ifdc.org | pcme_annequin

2. IFDC in a snapshot Regional offices Offices Activities International Fertilizer Development Center Public International Organization created in 1974 (1st green revolution vs 1st oil peak) – HQ in Alabama, USA 500+ staff in Africa in 22 countries Technology transfer (fertilizer production, management & use) Integrated Soil Fertility Management Agro input distribution / agro dealers Value chain development Market Information Systems … ICT !

3. Challenges and Opportunities kg/ha of nutrients 2007-2008 Fertilizer Consumption Target: from 8 to 50 kg/ha/yr by 2015 Very low level of use of agro inputs by small scale farmers, resulting in low productivity Weak farm input supply chains No agro input MIS in SSA Since 2000 … NEPAD, AGRA, PPPs … Innovative ICT solutions Mobile phones for most agro dealers and pre-commercial farmers

4. African farmers pay the highest price 2006 figures for 1 ton of urea

5. Fertilizersare too expensive for too many ! Monthly international prices (ICIS, April 2011)

6. IFDC strategy POLICIES & ECONOMICS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CAPACITY BUILDING AGRO INPUT MIS Improve ACCESSILIBITY, AVAILABILITY and PROFITABILITY of agro inputs for farmers • Better technologies / usage • Cheaper prices for inputs • Better markets / output prices Part of the solution : Create and improve market linkages between FARMERS and AGRO INPUT DEALERS and their SUPPLIERS

7. Previous attempts in the MIS space • 80’s & 90’s: AFTMEN – experts network [dead] • Prepare liberalization of gov’t control fertilizer markets • Printed / mailed quarterly newsletters • 2000-2004: www.afamin.net [dead] • Agro input prices in 4 West Africa countries • ICT: excel / Html / dreamweaver | all in house • 2005-2007: www.wa-agritrade.net [dead] • Output / input prices & offers in 10 West Africa countries • ICT: web + (early) mobile | Busylab (TradeNet / Esoko) • Key lessons learnt: • Always separate programs from technology ! • ICT is only 10% of costs and efforts of deploying MIS

8. Current IFDC MIS strategy BUILD PPP THINK BIG & SMALL DON’T REINVENT OUTSOURCE TECHNOLOGY • Engage public and private partners to fill the gaps and deploy multi layer and inter-related MISs • Continental > regional > national • Public & opened | Private & closed • Tap into existing information to build “web portals” and data centers • Use a range of ICT tools to push and pull information from / to “clients / suppliers”

9. 2 interlinked initiatives in Africa Fertilizers • Agro input MIS for East Africa • Regional and national organizations • Agro dealers & buyers (FBOs) All agro inputs • Mobile apps for end users • Local organizations and associations • Individual farmers & input retailers Inputs & outputs Web-based portal for Africa International and regional organizations Fertilizer producers & importers

10. All African countries • All free content • Managed by IFDC • Developed in Ghana by • Ver. 1 launched in March 2010 • Secured servers in Feb 2011 (NL) • Built for collaborative management (CMS)

11. AfricaFertilizer.org PARTNERS CONTENTS ICT TOOLS Statistics Directories Policies Market news Publications CMS MS reporting services

12. For Eastern and Southern Africa

13. www.amitsa.org PARTNERS CONTENTS ICT TOOLS Prices Catalogues Directories Statistics Market news Publications Blogs CMS MS reporting services Mailchimp [newsletters] East Africa Grains Council East Africa Farmers Association mobile apps ???

14. Sharing roles & responsibilities • Methodologies • Build partnerships and pay for set up costs • Collect prices and market information • Map agro dealers • MIS Trainings & TA • Pull, push and manage info by SMS (& the web) • Prices, offers • Polls, stocks, profiling • Networks, groups • Billing • Low cost MIS solutions for SMEs, groups and associations (licenses) PROGRAMS TECHNOLOGY

15. Collecting prices from AMITSA agro dealers 9 countries 150 towns 250 agro-dealers Nokia phones Mobi Java app 50 agro-inputs Fertilizers Seeds Pesticides Retail prices Sales trends

16. Sending prices by SMS to agro dealers 5,750 agro dealers mapped & profiled (name, mobile number, location) [total est. 20,000 ] 120,000 SMS sent each month with local, national and regional prices Using esokoSMS push and Networks apps

17. Online price search & analysis www.esoko.com/amitsa

18. The starting point for much more Making available … • Contents • Contacts + ICT tools + Technical support + Business models Enable users to : • Communicate • Share the right info • Plan and forecast • Do more business Faster Cheaper Broader

19. Next – business uses in the supply chain

20. Next – public use and value chains management

21. www.amitsa.org info@amitsa.org www.facebook.com/amitsa.org Twitter: @AMITSAnews www.esoko.com/amitsa www.africafertilizer.org info@africafertilizer.org www.facebook.com/africafertilizer.org Twitter: @AfricFertilizer Follow us ! Use us !