Agro-Dealer Development Programme (ADP)

According to AGRA, the advantage of training agro-dealers to deliver crop information is that they come into regular contact with farmers and are also aware of the local conditions, such as soil quality, climate, and common pest threats. They can give farmers very specific advice on how to cultivate and treat their crops to achieve the best results in that area. The agro-dealers are trained locally, as near to their shops as possible in order to minimise the time they spend away from their business. The courses are flexible and can be taken as a series of short sessions spread throughout the growing season, or in a single module lasting around six days. At the end of the course, dealers receive certificates that are recognised by their national regulatory authorities. This ensures that government departments are kept informed about the courses, and know which dealers have been trained. The ADP also works with smaller agro-dealer associations, helping them to set up and offer training courses to individual agro-dealers, and eventually to other associations.

Information and communication technologies (ICs) also allow the agro-dealers to provide the latest market prices and put farmers in touch with buyers, processors, and transporters. After their initial training, which involves setting up a network of information sources, the agro-dealers stay updated using cell phones to communicate with other dealers, local associations, and other information services. They often use their phones to organise delivery times with suppliers, ask for and share advice with colleagues, and receive regular automatic SMS messages containing market data.

The ADP developed a database of agro-dealers that they use to quickly send SMS alerts, either to all the dealers or to selected smaller groups. The system has been used to inform dealers about the availability of new seed stocks and deals offered by suppliers. The database has become a directory of agro-dealers that includes information on the types of products they sell, whether or not they have received training, the GPS coordinates of their location, and contact details. The team is now using the location data to develop maps of agro-dealers and publishes the data on Google Maps. The project team can then use maps to identify areas where there are fewer agro-dealers, which helps them to plan future training services.

The ADP team cooperates with colleagues on other AGRA programmes, especially those working with farmer organisations and other small and medium-sized enterprises. The various programmes combine their electronic databases to identify and develop connections between the various parties involved in agricultural markets. Farmers are encouraged to operate in organised groups to buy inputs in bulk, and negotiate prices for the larger, combined quantities of goods.

Another aspect of AGRA’s work is tracing the value chains for various commodities to ensure that information flows to everyone involved in the system, starting with the researchers in the university agricultural departments. The project team links plant breeders and soil scientists with seed production companies, and continues the connection through to the agro-dealers themselves by providing them with information on best agricultural practices which they can pass on to farmers.

The agro-dealers are encouraged to set up demonstration plots, establish information centres, and organise input exhibitions as methods of delivering practical information to farmers. They also have a role in creating awareness of issues such as pest-management techniques that may arise in the course of the growing season.

Agriculture, Food Security, Technology

So far, AGRA has trained more than 10,000 agro-dealers. AGRA’s research has shown that, on average, Ghanaian farmers, for example, have to travel 9 km to reach their nearest agro-dealer, with some going as far as 15 km. The next step of the agro-dealer programme is to expand the input businesses in these under-served areas.