Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) links AgNexus digital tools with Farmer Service Centres (FSCs) to help fill the gap of technology access for agrodealers in Tanzania.
As a programme, FtMA seeks to partner with commercial companies that are investing in the development of last-mile service delivery, seeking to fill the gap of technology access and usage for FSCs. This is where AgNexus steps in with their innovative digital solutions for agro-dealers to serve farmers better. This is a key innovation in Tanzania in line with the national development plans to prioritize digitalization as a key component of the country’s future development plans.
About FTMA
FtMA is a public-private partnership that seeks to make markets work for smallholder farmers at the last mile. Anchored around a unique model which consists of a network of self-sustaining FSCs that provide a variety of services to enhance farmers’ productivity and adaptation to climate risks and shocks, increase their incomes through access to more structured market opportunities, FSCs also act an entry point that ensures commercial viability for all stakeholders amongst them, micro, small, medium and large agri-enterprises.
About AgNexus
AgNexus Africa, is a leading market research company specializing in providing insights into market trends, consumer behavior, and product performance, in collaboration with the FtMA is empowering retail agricultural input, micro-small and medium businesses (MSMEs) in rural Tanzania and input companies, manufacturers and distributors to make informed decisions about their product portfolios and marketing strategies.
The Collaboration
AgNexus has significantly improved how some of FtMA’s FSCs (entrepreneurs, mainly agrodealers) manage their businesses, understand their customers and enhance their sales performance by deploying their new tool, Mavuno in Tanzania’s farming communities. Through this partnership, AgNexus seeks to transform Tanzania’s agricultural landscape through data-driven analytics. They have plans to digitize the business operations of 800 agrodealers, of which to date 64 FSCs that provide input delivery as a core service, in their communities, have been digitized with their innovative point-of-sale technology to enhance their business operations and drive growth and sustainability. Mavuno is a handheld point-of-sale device that runs the Mavuno app. It is online 24/7 and has modules that assist shop Attendants/Owner in tracking sales both cash, credit sales, mobile money and profits, inventory management, provides alerts for restocking, data driven decision, debtors Management (Tracking Sales and payments) and reporting with digitized records.
Mavuno POS seeks to solve major challenges for agrodealers as they seek an ERP system that provides them with the best tool that organizes their business and helps them maximize profits. These challenges include Sales Tracking, Profit Visibility, Loss control* (est. retail at about 10%), Inventory management, Credit Access.
Source: Farm to Market Alliance (ftma.org)