Options for developing “Competence Centers” within the PSSA Zone of Influence can also be considered. The centers can provide the knowledge, technology, infrastructure, and facilities that underpin the technological transformation in the input and technology distribution space. The Competence Center may also play the role of the Digital Innovation Hub orchestrator, taking a coordinating, organizing and/or agenda-setting role. End-users, e.g., farmers, agro-dealer associations, and input and technology suppliers, are the main targets and beneficiaries of the Digital Innovation Hubs. Financial institutions include banks and governments in their role of funding R&D and innovation activities. Finally, education and training play an important role in building capabilities for the Digital Innovation Hub and its users. These can be (agricultural) research institutes at universities, experiment stations or farms, extension agencies, or seed companies. It should be noted that this intervention is among the potential options for addressing the fundamental challenge of promoting youth-based agriculture enterprises in Tanzania. It is based on the fact that the agriculture sector, in general, is not perceived to be attractive to the youth. The sector will not be able to meet its potential for growth if it cannot increase its productivity and create opportunities for young people to integrate into existing initiatives. To address this situation, PSSA should roll out strategic and targeted efforts within the agriculturist sector to make it attractive to the youth. These kinds of interventions will ultimately become “game changers” in the industry because the youth population will become future” actors in the value chain and contribute to the sustainability of key interventions being proposed. In sum, the youth population will take the interventions to the next frontier. PSSA can work with a range of private and public partners in implementing this recommendation. There are a number of private sector-managed digital agriculture platforms whose demand is rising. These include (i) Vodacom -M-kulima platform, (ii) Tigo - Tigo Kilimo and (iii Agromovil -e-commerce platform for horticulture. Specific case studies and success stories to demonstrate potential partners for PSSA are presented below.
farmers are engaged with NINAYO’s WhatsApp groups, coordinated through group leaders with smartphones. Of these farmers, more than 25% have purchased their agro-inputs via NINAYO. Inputs are also direct from the manufacturer, which is important as the industry is riddled with counterfeit products. These benefits are [94] then made more widely available as NINAYO leverages its digital channels to batch orders at bulk rates, passing on the savings to the farmers.
VODACOM Foundation Tanzania
Vodacom Foundation, a pioneer communication and technology-based company, is in the process of developing the latest innovation in digital solutions relevant to the agriculture sector in Tanzania. The innovation involves mapping out the various actors in the value chain and developing individual profiles, which can subsequently be used as a basis for accessing essential services such as bank loans, insurance services etc. The initiative is premised on the fact that value chain actors (e.g., farmers) have specific needs and would therefore require unique and specific solutions. Under the initiative, Vodacom Foundation is using technology to address a myriad of challenges facing farmers in Tanzania and, most importantly, the correctness of farmers' details. To do this, the Foundation will collect farmers' details and use technology to “profile” them. Major assumptions are that technology is able to create farmers’ “own” economic identity (based on their transaction history), and also a good digital identity can be used as a basis to access different services such as agri-loans, insurance services etc. Once completed, the services can be accessed both digitally and through financial inclusion initiatives such as M-Pesa. The initiative has great potential to foster a cashless payment system, which is currently a critical challenge to farmers. As well as this, it is relevant for planning purposes, particularly for authorities supporting or dealing with the value chain. In most cases, authorities (e.g., government, industry associations or service providers) do not have credible information for planning and, most importantly, providing real-time solutions for decision-making. Through the initiative, Vodacom Foundation is able to identify the actors, profile them, map out their transactions, keep the information and share with respective stakeholders with whom it has exclusive agreement. The utility of this technology is that it can allow planning for the provision of services such as enterprise management and input subsidies and even negotiate discounted credit for inputs.
NINAYO
NINAYO is a Tanzania-based online trading platform for agriculture. NINAYO works with farmers in rural Tanzania to co-design solutions for them. Over 500
45
Youth Enterprise Policy Analysis Report
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online