Enterprising Africa 2017

Enterprising Africa Creating Links to Market

selfhelpafrica.org

Contents

malawi

04. Our Vision for an Enterprising Africa

zambia

Supporting poor farmers in growing more is not enough. It’s essential to connect them to markets too, and to help them get a fair price for their produce. burkinafaso

06. Cashew Productivity & Processing - Benin ghana

A four-year initiative, partnering with snack food company Intersnack, cashew processors Tolaro Global and the African Cashew Initiative, to improve the livelihoods of cashew farmers. kenya

malawi

08. Seed Production - Ethiopia

togo

zambia

An initiative that is improving farmer access to cereal seed, while linking smallholder maltbarley seed producers to one of the world’s largest beverage companies. burkinafaso

malawi

10. Seed Growers’ Cooperative - Ethiopia A pioneering collaboration that has seen an Ethiopian farmers’ union become leading

ghana

zambia

kenya

regional producers of quality wheat seed.

malawi

burkinafaso

malawi

togo

12. Fruit Growers’ Union - Ethiopia

zambia

ghana

zambia

burkinafaso

A small fruit-growing agricultural cooperative, which has developed into a major international business supplying produce to a range of buyers, including Ethiopian Airlines. kenya

malawi

togo

zambia

burkinafaso

ghana

14. Milk Bulking and Processing - Kenya A community-owned milk-bulking and processing initiative with an annual turnover in

ghana

kenya

burkinafaso

kenya

togo

excess of $1.5m.

ghana

togo

16. Commercialising Cassava - Kenya

kenya

A new collaboration that increases productivity for 12,000 cassava farmers in Western Kenya and links them to locally-based processors. togo

18. Honey Bulking and Processing - Uganda malawi

Supporting close to 50 beekeeping groups across Uganda’s Kamwenge District to produce, process and market honey products. zambia

malawi

malawi

burkinafaso

20. Livestock Intensification - Zambia Working with small-scale goat keepers in Chipata, Zambia, to improve market participation;

zambia

zambia

ghana

burkinafaso

ENTERPRISING

AFRICA

overcome constraints, and exploit opportunities for commercialisation. kenya

ghana

24. TruTrade - Kenya & Uganda malawi

burkinafaso

togo

ghana

kenya

kenya

An innovative social enterprise that increases prices paid to farmers for their produce by working with traders and food processors. togo

zambia

togo

burkinafaso

26. Partner Africa - Africa & Near East

ghana

A social enterprise with a pan-African network, delivering ethical audits, supporting supply chain sustainability, and providing training and consultancy services. kenya

28. Mobile Phone Extension Services - Africa togo

An exciting new collaboration with a range of mobile network operators across Africa to provide farm advice via cell phones

3

OUR VISION for AN ENTERPRISING AFRICA

In sub-Saharan Africa, investment in agriculture is up to 11 times more effective at reducing poverty than investment in any other sector

H

ere at Self Help Africa, we like to describe the organisation as “the pro-profit non-profit”. That’s because we’re focused on helping smallholder farmers across Africa to increase the profitability of their enterprises.

Mostly, this involves work inside the farm gate - helping these smallholders to increase productivity and diversify their production.

For decades, this work has been inseparable from our efforts to incubate and support farmer cooperative development. The coop is the basic building block for agri-business - through it, farmers can store, purchase in bulk, sell at better prices and access advice.

It’s pointless to help farmers increase productivity without also helping them to find markets for this new produce.

That’s why we’re fully committed to working with the private sector, on behalf of the smallholder farmer, to help with that market access challenge.

For smallholders, the challenge is one of understanding the market, of physically moving their produce to that market, and of agreeing favourable terms of trade.

For the private sector, the challenges include building a reliable supply chain, providing both the right quantity and the right quality of produce. Private companies are also understandably reluctant to deal directly with many thousands of smallholders, and so need solutions that work at scale.

There is enormous potential for growing smallholder farming in Africa by connecting it with markets in a way that is beneficial for all parties.

OUr Approach to the value chain:

Africa’s private agri-business sector is estimated to be worth about $280bn currently yet, with the right investment and support, it’s estimated that it can grow to over $1 trillion within two decades.

For a ‘pro-profit’ non-profit organisation like Self Help Africa, this is an exciting space in which to work. Our traditional roles - helping farmers to lift productivity in their fields - continues, but we know we must partner with a range of other, non-traditional partners to help farmers maximise income and drive development.

This publication provides some recent examples of that exciting and innovative work, showing how private business, enterpreneurs and smallholder farmers can come together to score win-wins across sub-Saharan Africa.

Financing of the Value Chain Retail Processing Buyer Open market

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Smallholder aggregation •

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Linking farmers with buyers •

Developing cooperatives

Farmer training Animal health services Agricultural inputs Technical assistance Assistance to attain certification

• • •

Setting up kiosks to enable direct sales

Improving market links Training to improve marketing skills Improving access to market information

• •

Training farmers to process agricultural products into highervalue processed goods Establishing links with processing companies Setting up packaging and processing centres

5

BENIN: CASHEW Productivity And Processing

UNSHELLING Benin’s Potential

M

ore than a third of the global cashew crop is grown in Africa, with 1.5 million smallholder farmers across the continent involved in cultivation of the nut.

Benin is the world’s fifth-largest producer, with income from the crop representing 7% of the country’s GDP.

Daringa, Torou, Banhounkpo & Komiguéa

Location

Cooperative (5 Coops)

Type of registration Country of registration

Benin

Country of operation

Benin

Turnover

€€45,000 combined

Smallholder suppliers

162 Cashew, honey, soya

Business focus

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Despite its importance, Benin ranks a lowly 27th globally in terms of yield-per-hectare. Less than 5% of all the cashews produced in the country are processed locally, with the overwhelming majority of the crop being exported at a lower price, as raw product.

The poor rates of production and the lack of a developed processing industry are costing the cashew farmers, processors and the overall economy in Benin millions in lost revenue.

This lost income is money that the smallholders who cultivate the crop desperately need. Most live in rural areas and struggle to earn enough from cashews to support their families.

Self Help Africa worked with Dutch-headquartered snackfood

company Intersnack, local cashew processor Tolaro Global and training providers from the African Cashew Initiative to break this status quo.

Benin is the world’s fifth-largest producer, with income from the crop representing 7% of the country’s GDP. Working in partnership, Self Help Africa’s training enabled 2,500 poor cashew producers in the Tourou, Daringa, Bonkpo and Komi Districts in Parakou, and elsewhere in the Djougou and N’Dali Districts.

to increase their cashew yields from 350kg per hectare to 450kg per hectare. Cashew farmers are being targeted with communitybased extension services to improve production levels. The cooperatives were trained in quality control, operational and financial management, and were also being linked with microfinance institutions.

The increases in crop quality enabled farmers to achieve 21% higher prices for their cashews.

By working together with extension services, processors and ultimately, buyers, this initiative targeted all aspects of the value chain.

7

ETHIOPIA: SEED PRODUCTION Sowing the Seeds

S

elf Help Africa has joined forces with global drinks giant Diageo in a new partnership aimed at boosting the incomes of farming communities in Ethiopia.

The agreement sees Self Help Africa connecting thousands of small-scale barley farmers with Meta, Diageo’s local brewing subsidiary.

Name

Raya Kejewa

Type of registration

Union

Country of registration

Ethiopia

Country of operation

Ethiopia

Turnover

€€390,000

Business focus

Malt barley (grain & seed)

“We’re aiming to source 80% of all ingredients for African products within that continent by 2020, and 100% in Ethiopia in the next two years.”

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Self Help Africa has been working with farmers in the central Oromia region of Ethiopia for many years, helping them to organise, increase productivity and access markets.

Under the Diageo-backed initiative, improved barley seed produced by these farmers in Oromia will be distributed within the brewer’s existing Ethiopian network of 6,500 smallholders,

enabling them to increase their productivity. Diageo in turn is supporting the seed-producing farmers with training, fertiliser, crop insurance and improved seed.

Partnerships like this are a winwin for all involved. In the long run Diageo is aiming to increase significantly the quantity of barley that it purchases from local farmers; while the seed producers will be assured of an improved crop, achieved in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.

5,307 farmers grew improved varieties of malt barley and harvested 80,290qt of grain. Malt barley productivity increased from 10-15qt/ha at baseline (2011) to

an average of 35qt/ha in 2014, reaching the standards required by the Asela malt factory.

Diageo’s Global Director of Sustainability David Croft said of the partnership: “We’re aiming to source 80% of all ingredients for African products within that continent by 2020, and 100% in Ethiopia within the next two years.

By sourcing more ingredients locally we will be able to invest and support the growth of local economies, contribute to the development of those communities, and support long-term sustainable business and growth with shared value.”

9

ETHIOPIA: SEED GROWERS’ COOPERATIVE part of the Union Name

Edget Farmers Seed Production and Marketing Cooperatives (ESPM) Union

Type of registration

Multi-Purpose Union

Country of registration

Ethiopia

Year of incorporation

2009

Country of operation

Ethiopia

Turnover

€€550,000

Smallholder Suppliers

1,186

Business focus

Wheat seed production and marketing

A

pioneering project that helped an Ethiopian farmers’ union to produce the quality wheat seed that its members needed has received national recognition in the East African country.

The collaboration between Self Help Africa and Edget Farmers’ Union saw cooperative members receive training and support in quality seed production, with the result being an improved supply of wheat seed across the region.

In 2013, Edget (which means ‘progress’ in the Amharic language) supplied over 15% of demand in the SNNP Region, and was the source of up to 100% of first-generation wheat seed in some districts.

At harvest, growers reported increased yields, and increases of up to 75% in income.

10

Shenecha Denur (Standing), Board Chairperson of Edget Farmers’ Seed Production and Multipliers and Marketing Cooperative Union.

The project has changed the attitudes of government and research staff, says district Seed and Quality Control Officer Malaku Bilihu, with the Ministry recognising the capacity of farmers groups to enter the seed market as autonomous local seed businesses.

At harvest, growers reported increased yields, and increases of up to 75% in income.

Self Help Africa has since presented its experience with Edget at numerous fora, while the Government of Ethiopia has included the pioneering work in its recently prepared draft seed development strategy.

Last year, Self Help Africa’s Ethiopian team received a citation for good practice in early generation seed production for its work with Edget Union.

Access to quality seed is essential for farmers, but in Ethiopia demand far outstrips supply.

A major bottleneck has been a shortage of improved earlygeneration wheat seed. Self Help Africa’s work with Edget Cooperative included trial farmer production of seed, training in quality seed production, business skills, seed regulation, and the creation of linkages between the farmers and government agricultural research services.

11

ETHIOPIA: FRUIT GROWERS’ UNION Fruits OF their Labour

F

ormed in Meki town as an agricultural union to represent the interests of 12 producer groups, Meki Batu Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Cooperative Union is unrecognisable today from the organisation created almost 15 years ago.

The union has grown from its original dozen groups to now include more than 150 primary cooperatives; its membership has increased from an original 527 to now number over 8,000 farmers.

Name

Meki Batu

Type of registration

Cooperative Union

Country of registration

Ethiopia

Year of Incorporation

2002

Employees & Suppliers

85/4,000

Turnover

€€2.5m

Business focus

12

Horticulture, seed

Meki Batu’s members currently cultivate over 6,000 hectares of land and annually produce in excess of 50,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables. A quantity worth almost $2.5million a year.

The union recently secured a twoyear-long supply agreement with Ethiopian Airlines.

The union has sourced domestic markets across Ethiopia, including five retail outlets in the capital Addis Ababa, as well as export markets in the Middle East and

Chairman Challa Gurre Ashemi with onion bulbs used for seed multiplication program by Meki Batu members.

Europe, via wholesale buyers in Holland. In 2016 the union initiated processes to secure global gap certification.

The union has secured a supply agreement with Ethiopian Airlines (EAL), with an average 6,000kg of assorted fruits and vegetables delivered to the airline every week.

Plans for future growth include establishing a tomato processing facility, developing better storage and refrigeration facilities, improving local transport facilities, and further developing export markets.

Self Help Africa’s links with the farmers in Meki date back to the early 1990s, when local farmers

who had been supported with irrigated horticultural production close to Lake Ziway began organising into producer groups in order to both scale-up their activities and access markets for their produce.

Over time numerous irrigated horticultural projects were established, with farmer producers being organised into primary cooperatives, and later uniting to create the union.It has since grown to become a major player in Ethiopia’s Central Rift Valley, and the economic impact of its success has been considerable, with the union allocating 5% of its turnover to social service activities a year. including the construction of a local primary school.

13

KENYA: Milk PROCESSING PLANT Dairy’s dramatic success

K

eringet Foods Limited (KFL) is a public limited company created - with support from Self Help Africa - to promote the economic development of the wider Keringet community in Kenya by adding value to their agricultural produce.

The most successful element of the initiative thus far has been a milk-bulking centre run by KFL, which was completed in early 2015. The centre currently has three 5,000-litre milk chilling tanks, a small pasteuriser (500 litres) together with a laboratory for testing raw milk.

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Name

Keringet Foods Ltd

Type of registration

Public Company

Country of registration

Kenya

Year of incorporation

2014

Country of operation

Kenya

Turnover

€€1,200,000

Employees

50

Smallholder Suppliers

1,800

Business focus

Aggregation and chilling of milk

KFL staff and service providers, including vets, agro-inputs shop and artificial inseminator agents, work with local farmers on improving feeding, breeding and milk practices, which has encouraged farmers to supply to KFL as opposed to other existing buyers.

Eric Midida, Quality Control Technician, Keringet Milk Processing Plant, Keringet, Kenya.

In addition to these services, KFL enables farmers to purchase inputs on credit, with money owed deducted directly from their dairy payment.

The centre also provides facilities that enable small-scale dairy

Beatrice Chepngeno and Eda Kitur, quality control supervisors at Keringet Foods Ltd, Kenya.

farmers to bulk their milk, chill it to preserve its quality and jointly market the chilled milk to processors. The processors pay a higher price for the chilled milk, and this is passed on to the suppliers.

By Dec 2015 the centre was receiving almost 15,000 litres of milk daily from 2,300 dairy farmers Local farmers are free to bring their milk directly to the plant, whilst for a small fee KFL operates a collection system involving 82 milk transporters, who collect fresh milk

directly from the farmers’ homes.

By December 2015 the processing centre was receiving almost 15,000 litres of milk daily from 2,300 dairy farmers. KFL’s turnover for 2015 was €1,200,000, an increase of 242% on 2014. The dairy also has a wider impact, by applying upward pressure on prices paid by other off-takers, meaning that over 10,000 farmers are positively affected by the project.

Within a short time the milkchilling enterprise has begun to show real potential. KFL’s long-term strategy is to increase output, and eventually move into the processing and marketing of higher-value dairy products like yoghurt and cheese.

15

KENYA: COMMERCIALIsING THE Cassava VALUE CHAIN

EXTRA FLOUR POWER

T

housands of Kenyan smallholder farmers are set to secure a lucrative new market for their cassava crop, thanks to the development of new processing capacity supported by Self Help Africa

Name

KIWESCAS

Type of registration

Cooperatives

Country of registration

Kenya

Turnover

€10,000

Business focus

Fresh Cassava

Name

SUBARON

Type of registration

Cooperatives

Country of registration

16

Although historically a “poor man’s crop” because of its lack of commercial value, nearly 12,000 smallholder farmers will now have the chance to sell their produce into commercial processing facilities in Western Kenya, in an initiative supported by Irish AId, the Walmart Foundation and Self Help Africa.

The initiative is currently building the capacity of farmers in the region, to enable them to take commercial advantage of growing interest across Kenya in cassava products. Processed cassava flour can be used to make bread and porridge, while the root crop can be turned into industrial starch and inexpensive animal feed.

Kenya

Smallholder suppliers

450

Turnover

€€86,000

Business focus

Cassava Chips

Name

ALUCAP

Type of registration

Cooperatives

Country of registration

Kenya

Smallholder suppliers

680

Turnover

€17,000

Business focus

Cassava Chips

Farmer Mary Auma Otieno in her cassava field near Nyabera village, Homa Bay, Kenya.

Currently, 85% of cassava farmers in Western Kenya produce the crop solely for household consumption. Self Help Africa is working with 12,000 farmers in the region, enabling them to take advantage of commercial demand.

Self Help Africa is also supporting the formation and registration of four farmer-owned cooperatives; a process that will enable the farmers involved to bulk their produce, reduce input costs and establish marketing and training channels. As a result, the farmers will be able to deliver both the quality and the industry-scale quantities of the crop required.

Currently, 85% of cassava farmers in Western Kenya produce the crop solely for household consumption.

A market is available for the expected increase in production, with one large scale processing centre recently established in the area, and other processing companies also examining the viability of new investments.

Self Help Africa hopes to attract private sector operators into the region to take up to 40,000 metric tonnes of fresh cassava into their supply chains within three years.

The long-term aim is to ensure that the cooperatives develop into economically viable businesses – supporting increased food security, nutrition and income among the 12,000 smallholder households involved.

17

UGANDA: BEEKEEPING COOPERATIVE BUZZING WITH SUCCESS

H

elping smallholders in rural Africa to produce more is often only half the battle. Finding a viable market for produce can be equally important.

Well-structured, locally run agrienterprises are one effective route to achieving the second part of this critical equation.

Name

10 Associations in total

Type of registration

Farmer Associations

Country of registration

Uganda

Smallholder suppliers

680

Turnover

€€197,000

Business focus

Honey & by products

In Kamwenge District, in Uganda’s isolated west, Self Help Africa has been working with the Kamwenge Beekeepers Cooperative Savings and Credit Society Ltd (KABECOS) to support the group in the creation of a sustainable and profitable local business.

KABECOS is both a cooperative group for beekeepers, as well as a processor and marketer of the members’ produce. It trains and supports members to increase their honey production. nter.

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Currently, KABECOS supports 84 beekeeping groups across the district. It provides a ‘farmgate’ collection service, bulking, quality testing, grading, processing, jarring and marketing of the honey and honey by-products at a small processing plant in Kamwenge.

Tusiime Rose, Honey Business Manager checking the water content of the honey at the KABECOS processing centre in Kamwenge, Uganda.

“For us, the challenge is the stinging of the bees. The opportunity is the honey.”

As well as producing a range of honey products the facility has the capacity to make candles, hand creams and tinctures.

Branded as ‘Rwenzori Honey’, products are sold in supermarkets across Kamwenge, Mbarara, Ibanda, Portal. In the capital Kampala, the range is stocked by leading chain supermarkets including Quicksavers and Freshmart. In 2015 Rwenzori had a turnover of e32,000.

Self Help Africa supports the farmers with which KABECOS works by providing training and advice on how to improve the quality and quantity of produce.

Rwenzori Epiculture Ltd is responsible for the processing and sales components. In 2015, average production per farmer was 13 tonnes, providing an income of e280.

“Where there is an opportunity, there must be a challenge,” says KABECOS executive director George Tunanukye. “For us, the challenge is the stinging of the bees. The opportunity is the honey.”

19

ZAMBIA: LIVESTOCK INTENSIFICATION Livestock markets

S

mallholder farmers in Zambia’s Eastern Province are in a better position to profit from small livestock production thanks to three recently established District Livestock Associations.

Self Help Africa has been working with the DLAs and goat farmers to improve productivity and strengthen their position within the goat value chain, through improving sector coordination, formalization of processes, and developing market information systems.

Chipata

Location Type of registration

Association (3 associations)

Country of registration

Zambia

Year of Incorporation

2016

Country of Operation

Zambia €144,000 (combined)

Turnover Smallholder Farmers

2,883

Business focus

Goats

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The DLAs have a key role to play in facilitating a more conducive business environment for smallscale goat farmers and in enabling greater engagement with local government and the private sector.

In 2016, all three DLAs progressed to formal registration as cooperatives. Already they have 2,883 members, who will benefit from extension services, aggregation opportunities and market information and opportunities. The average price received for a goat increasing from €27 to €32 over a few months.

Income from sales by DLAs has grown from €21,000 in 2014 to €160,000 in 2016, with an average

Willie Phiri (40) at his goathouse in Chinini village, Zambia.

of three sales per farmer.

Chipata DLA also manages an abattoir, established with support from SHA, designated specifically for small livestock. The abattoir is an important bulking point for goats and is part of the process of improving health and safety standards for goat meat. It is because of bulking that the farmers are able to command a higher price as farm prices remain €27 per goat.

Market linkages have been a core focus of the project. The DLAs have become regular suppliers to Capital Fisheries, Livestock Development and Animal Health project (LDAHP), CARE International Zambia, World Vision, ZamGoat and the Small Livestock Association of

Zambia, the main traders in goats in Lusaka. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also currently seeking to buy 1,000,000 goats a year from Zambia. There are plans to link the DLAs to this initiative as a way of further securing markets.

Paravets, or Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) have been a positive spin-off enterprise from the programme. 650 paravets have been able to provide animal health care to farmers who would otherwise have not received it in good time through the Ministry Vet Assistants who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of farmers requiring their services or lack resources to adequately cater for all the farmers.

21

AFRICA & NEAR EAST: PARTNER AFRICA: ETHICAL SOLUTIONS IN GLOBAL TRADE

partner for success

P

artner Africa is a not-forprofit social enterprise providing a range of consultancy services in the field of ethical and socially responsible business practices.

A wholly-owned subsidary of Self Help Africa that is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Partner Africa delivers ethical audits, training and consultancy services through a network of more than 100 skilled and experienced professionals across Africa and the Near East.

The organisation follows a clear social mission: to improve the livelihoods of workers and producers in Africa and to enhance their access to global markets.

Name

Partner Africa

Type of registration

Co. Ltd by Guarantee

Country of registration

UK

Year of incorporation

2012

Country of operation

Africa & Near East

Turnover

22

€€780,000

Employees

13

Business focus

Ethical trade services and capacity building programs to the private sector across Africa

“Partner Africa has been instrumental in building the capacity of both our management and general workers.”

By offering training and consultancy services to local suppliers and producers, Partner Africa helps these business to

achieve compliance with ethical trade standards required by Western buyers. Currently, the absence of such compliance can be one of the main barriers faced

by African companies looking to increase their presence in the global market.

At the same time, Partner Africa provides auditing and consultancy services to leading international brands that are seeking to do business in the region - yet need to ensure that their suppliers are standards compliant.

The company can provide these firms with an insight into the context, culture, regulations, standards and working practices

within that particular country. The brands with which Partner Africa currently works includes Cadbury, Nestle, Tesco, Starbucks and Unilever. Any surplus profit that is generated from Partner Africa’s services is used to access larger funds from institutional donors, money which is then reinvested in the enterprise.

Andrew Hardy, General Manager of East Africa Growers says: “Partner Africa has been instrumental in building the capacity of both our management and general workers.”

23

KENYA & UGANDA: TRUTRADE: UNLOCKING THE VALUE CHAIN

TruTrade

Africa

Breaking The Chain

T

ruTrade is an innovative social enterprise seeking to address market failures that lock rural smallholders in a cycle of poverty.

TruTrade achieves this by assisting rural farmers, who can be isolated from the market by distance and poor infrastructure, to receive upto-date market information, and overcome their reliance on selling their produce at below market value to the first trader that comes to the farm gate.

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Name

TruTrade

Type of registration

Joint Venture

Country of registration

Kenya

Year of incorporation

2012

Country of operation

Kenya & Uganda

Turnover

US$280,000

Employees

Six​

Smallholder Suppliers

​2200​

Business focus

Franchise business providing structured agricultural trading service. Trade transparency, value addition.

Utilising a secure and transparent payment service known as Transaction Security Services (TSS), TruTrade is able to link small-scale producers directly to buyers. TruTrade’s own network of recognised brokers then collect and deliver the produce, providing a fair ‘farm gate’ price.

Jacinta Namubiru, Agrinet regional network manager at the Agrinet warehouse in Tororo, Uganda.

TruTrade is an innovative social enterprise seeking to address market failures that lock rural smallholders in a cycle of poverty.

What’s more, any surplus profits that are made once the produce has been delivered to the buyer are paid back to the farmer as a bonus.

The model provides a win-winwin for everyone involved in the value chain; the producing farmers receive fairer prices, brokers can grow trust and with it their businesses, and buyers get quality and volume, all of which are fully traceable to source.

By unlocking the value chain for smallholders, TruTrade is able to increase average prices paid to farmers for their crops by up to 20%.

For a smallholder farmer living on, or below, the poverty line, a 20%

profit bump can make a huge and life-changing difference.

TruTrade’s long-term mission is to create a franchise company in Africa offering TSS to aggregator/ trader networks, and in doing so redefine the relationship between farmers, brokers and buyers forever.

Self Help Africa is a majority stakeholder in TruTrade, alongside Rural African Ventures and a number of African brokers/traders.

Headquartered in Kenya, TruTrade also has significant operations in Uganda, with recent trades in sorghum, cassava, maize, fruit and vegetables.

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Charity Kamwala, Nsunda Village, Zambia.

AFRICA: MOBILE Extension Services CALLING FOR ChANGE

F

or most smallholder farmers across Africa, one of the main challenges to increasing productivity is the lack of reliable farming information.

Farming advice is expensive to provide on a one-on-one basis, so for many years Self Help Africa has used a “lead farmer” model, where information is channeled at a farming community through one, model farmer. This cuts the cost of information transfer.

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26

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In recent years, the uptake of mobile technology across Africa has offered another, much more cost-effective way of reaching farmers.

Help Africa, it’s a low-cost way of reaching tens of thousands of farmers with relevant, crop-specific farming information at the right time of the season.

Since late 2014, Self Help Africa and its mobile partner HNI have helped to pioneer the development of demand-driven farming information through mobile phone networks. In Malawi, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Zambia, we have partnered with a range of mobile network providers to provide free, on-demand farming information to farmers.

In Malawi, for example, Self Help Africa has joined with a range of government and civil society organisations to agree farming advice for a range of crops. That service has recorded an average of 36,000 calls per month from farmers across Malawi.

For mobile network providers, this free information is a compelling reason for subscribers to continue using their network. For Self

In a country where only 5% of rural households have electricity, but upwards of 65% have access to mobiles, the ability of farmers to access information via telephone is invaluable.

Most mobile users across Africa still use non-smart phones, so a service based on voice messaging is still critical. However, with the increasing adoption of lower-cost smart phones in these markets, Self Help Africa is about to pilot messaging which allows users to stream video content for free to these phones.

This pilot work will be aimed at delivering improved farm practice information not to farmers, but to extension workers – those employed by government or civil society organizations to teach farmers about new and improved practices.

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r o F g n i e m r r u t Fa u F s ’ a c i r f A Cover: Farmer Teferi Zenebe, in Gedebusa, Hurutaa, Ethiopia.

Back: Beekeeper Evaline Akampurira, with KABECOS-produced honey in Kamwenge, Uganda.