OUR SOLUTION TO FARMERS
A USSD system that allows smallholder farmers to layaway their money as a Wallet to be able to use it for input purchases.
Mobile Layaway System
Our farmers receive extension services that include training, weather forecast, market updates among others via SMS.
Extension Services
We make sure our farmers have a deserving market for their farms outputs whereby we go further with connecting them to prudent buyers.
Market Linkages
WHO WE ARE
Smallholder farmers are feeding the world, but the vast majority live in poverty. Only 7% have access to financing through traditional banks and microfinance.
We are a digital platform that connects farmers with financial management system for agricultural inputs, thereby increasing the farmers’ income. We have pioneered an alternative system that matches how farmers already manage their money by using a prepaid scratch card model, similar to buying prepaid mobile minutes, where farmers are able to pay in advance for Agricultural inputs by buying Agro Supply cards. The platform combines a saving mechanism, inputs supply mechanism and training mechanism; hereby a farmer buys scratch cards as the micro saving scheme, we deliver agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and seeds paid from the savings – in time for planting season, and farmers receive training on climate smart agriculture to maximize their agricultural productivity. We have adopted partnerships approach in achieving its goals, such as the partnership with Seedco Kenya to supply smallholder farmers with quality cereals and vegetable seedlings with high germination rate (up to 98%), and fertilizer at discounted price, both of which boosts the farmers’ yields. The mobile platform therefore assists farmers to access innovative financing mechanisms for the purchase of essential agricultural inputs which improve their yields, while shielding them from debt since they used to seek loans from lenders such as microfinance institutions and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The platform offers a layaway mechanism that allows farmers to save in the way they are comfortable with, without charging any fee as many corporate savings products do.
HOW WE DO IT...
The USSD System
We developed a layaway system that makes use of a USSD code, scratch cards and mobile money to help farmers pay little by little for high-quality seeds, fertilizer, tractor services to significantly increase their harvests and income.
Input Supply/Delivery
Towards the beginning on new season, we deliver inputs to the farmers through our situated AgroSupply stores in villages. These stores work as our sales-points and give farmers liberty to rely on them in case of anything.
Training
In our mission to support farmers to have larger harvests, we train farmers on how to use the seeds, fertilizer and tools. Knowing our farmers allows us to design all aspects of our program, including our trainings, in a way that best responds to their needs.
Our Team
Agro Supply is an exciting startup committed to improving the lives of rural communities through mobile innovation. We’re a multi-faceted bunch, including software engineers technologists, agronomists, business experts, data scientists and Fintech Experts, bound together by our passion to build a successful business that transforms lives. We are always looking for people who are passionate about tech for good, resilient, and seeking to do some of the best work of their career.
OUR TRACTION
18000
Farmers Reached40000
Seeds Sold10
Global Partners15
Farmer AgentsOUR PARTNERS
Following the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 17 is one of our core SDGs: Partnerships are key in our organizational work to make sure our smallholder farmers have the best services. Our key SDGs are 1, 2, 8,9, 10, 12 and 17.
TESTIMONIALS
I joined Agro Supply because its supply us with good seeds at the right time and also provide us with Market for our produce something we have been lacking has smallholder farmer.
Before I was Agro Supply client, I used to produce no more than 8 bags of Maize out of an Acre…Agro Supply Hybrid seed and fertilizer, but also the new seeding techniques and the assistance of Agro Supply field agent made a real difference. I noticed that putting small amounts of money aside wasn’t difficult at all. I am confident that I will be able to reach my goals.
Buying seeds is impossible sometime since we women has so many things to do with our money so I joined Agro Supply because I can save little by little by buying scratch cards as soon as I have extra cash. Being able to pay for inputs benefits not only me, but also my family in the long run… If you have a good harvest, you have many choices.