Updated on May 24, 2024

·

Created on July 15, 2016

myAgro

myAgro is an SMS-based layaway system that allows small-scale farmers in West Africa to save up for fertilizer, seed, and training packages using their mobile phone.

Developed By
  1. myAgro
Content Partners
Unknown

Author

Product Description

myAgro is an SMS-based layaway system that allows small-scale farmers in West Africa to save up for fertilizer, seed, and training packages using their mobile phone. Registered farmers can purchase savings cards from their local village stores to add to their myAgro account in flexible amounts ($.50 – $50). Upon receipt of the SMS, myAgro’s system automatically allocates the value of the farmer’s payment to the farmer’s layaway account. Smallholders choose how much and how often to pay into their layaway account in the lead up to planting season, and once they achieve their goal, myAgro delivers their chosen input package of fertilizer, seed, and technical training.

myAgro also offers micro-dose fertilizer training, planting training for their different seed varieties, animal-drawn seeder training, and off-season vegetable training.

Target SDGs

SDG 1: No Poverty

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

Market Suggested Retail Price

$50.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Savings cards and input packages are sold through a network of 300 independent rural merchants in Senegal and Mali. Interview with representative

Manufacturing/Building Method

N/A

Intellectural Property Type

Trademark

User Provision Model

Farmers register with myAgro and then buy myAgro planting cards from their village stores to make their advance payments towards myAgro planting packages.

Distributions to Date Status

By 2019 myAgro had 60,000 farmers using the services.  The company has set a goal of working with 120,000 farmers by the end of 2020.

Mobile service required

Yes, SMS service required

Devices required

Feature phone

Additional features required

No

Permanent network connectivity required

Yes

Two way communication (Y/N)

Yes

Level of coverage needed

2G Network

Usage rate (%)

Over 90% in 2015

Literacy support

No.

List of languages available

English, French

Operating system and version

N/A

Power Requirements

N/A

mAgriculture Application

Advance savings

Design Specifications

myAgro is an SMS-based layaway system that allows small-scale farmers in West Africa to save up for fertilizer, seed, and training packages using their mobile phone. The system requires a smallholder farmer to register through a myAgro agent and their details and saving goals are captured in a database. Savings are made by buying scratch cards from local village shops and then sending the customer ID and the secret code to myAgro via SMS. The system records the payment in a database and informs customers of their saving progress via an SMS. This goes on until the farmer can reach their savings goal and myAgro delivers to them the seeds, fertilizers, or training services needed for the next farming season. In addition, myAgro offers farmers a precision animal-drawn planter for hire during the planting season. The goal is to goal the farmers to save instead of relying on microlenders for their financing. This way, myAgro seeks to help each farmer increase their income by $550 per year.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

Provided by myAgro agents in the field.

Replacement Components

N/A

Lifecycle

N/A

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

myAgro's goal is to push their farmers beyond subsistence farming and help them increase their earnings by $550 per year.

Vetted Performance Status

Testing myAgro determined in 2019 that the product increases the earnings per farmer by between $150 - $300 per year, however, no third-party testing has been completed.

Safety

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary Technical Systems

myAGro also provides farmers with an ox-drawn precision planter which helps cut the planting time by 67%.

Academic Research and References

“MyAgro.” n.d. Myagro.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.myagro.org/

“About – MyAgro.” n.d. Myagro.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.myagro.org/about/

“Goal 1.” n.d. Sdgs.Un.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal1

“Goal 2.” n.d. Sdgs.Un.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal2.

“Privacy Policy – MyAgro.” n.d. Myagro.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.myagro.org/privacy-policy/ 

“Savings = Advance Payments.” n.d. Myagro.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.myagro.org/media-post/savings-advance-payments/

“Impact – MyAgro.” n.d. Myagro.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.myagro.org/impact/

N.d. Myagro.Org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.myagro.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2017-annual-report-compressed.pdf

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Evaluation methods

myAgro is evaluated for the number of farmers reached and the increase in production and income for each farmer.

Other Information

None

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