New solutions introduced to boost agri-business

Image-Ad Ghana, an advertising and marketing business company, has introduced new mobile and web based system application called “mfarms Agribusiness solution” to aid in the management and communication between actors within the agricultural value chain.

The mfarms platform, is an innovative user-friendly mobile and web based system for players within the agricultural value chain aimed at improving the operational efficiency, communication and viable linkages within the agriculture sector.

Addressing stakeholders and prospective clients in Accra, the CEO for Image-Ad Ghana, Kwame Adom Bentil asked farmers to embrace the technology in order to improve their production and sales.

“Farmers should trust ICT because in any business that ICT has being introduced, it has brought about efficiency. Farmers should subscribe to mfarms and receive information concerning their business” he said.

Under the theme, ‘Managing the agricultural value chain to increase efficiency’, the company introduced six solutions to help improve the sector.

“The mfarms modules within the platform are uniquely designed to optimize and enhance operational efficiency of value chain actors.”

Another platform in the application, is the m-Xtension service, which aims at providing farmers with information on good agricultural practices, pest and disease management.

A farm to market service also seeks to link farmers to output and input markets, in order to help farmers and farmer groups to pool their demand for inputs such as fertilizers prior to the season and also help them to find market before they go into production.

Additionally, an Actor module has been designed for players in the agricultural value chain which includes agro-dealers, seed producers, farmers, off-takers, organizations among others to plan and track production activities.

The platform also provides other services like field agent management, transactions, loans management, warehouse management, crop production, and the communication hub.

The service is delivered via SMS and voice messages to farmers in order to bring good agricultural practices to the doorstep of smallholder farmers and to increase their yield and incomes.

Mr. Larry Attipoe, Director of International Development for Fair-trade International maintained that “There is lack of information on agriculture everywhere, so this software can provide what all the young people need to make decisions on agriculture.”

Aside Ghana, the company intends to sustain the initiative in the remaining 19 other African countries including South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Cameroon, Mauritius, Nigeria.