Completing the Information threads in Agricultural Market Information for positive

enterprise growth

By M.J Robert Kintu Principal Consultant – FIT Uganda Ltd

STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION

A. FIT Uganda Profile

B. Realities of Agricultural Sector

C. Gaps with Marketing Information

D. Definition of Market Information

E. Infotrade Service Model

F. Critical Success factors -delivery of MIS

G. Conclusions and remarks

FIT UGANDA LTD Business Consultancy :

Business Development Services , Access to markets, Business training and Information dissemination.

Infotrade : Agricultural Market Information Services

Info point (U) Ltd an Advertising Business Services

Affiliations : FIT Ghana, FIT Kenya, FIT Tanzania ,FIT Zimbabwe

Networks and forums

Physical AddressFIT Uganda Limited

Plot 175/176 Kyandondo II Road

Makerere Hill , Kagugube Zone.

Tel 0414 532393 www. Infotradeuganda.com,

www.fituganda.com Email:

infotrade@fituganda.com Or info@fituganda.com

13years

In business

VISION AND MISSION

VISION: To be a catalyst in the growth of the SME Sector, by contributing to its productivity

and Innovativeness.

MISSION:FIT Uganda aims at offering profit t driven,

quality professional services by highly competent and motivated staff for the growth of commercial business sector

COMPANY BUSINESS STRUCTURE

SnapshotMarket Information Services

Under the INFOTRADE brand we aim at the Provision of Agricultural Market Information by collecting regular

trading prices on a total 46 commodities, that are analyzed, tabulated and disseminated to a target users of 25,000 using Website, mobile phones 256 hits, 23 notice boards, 25 blackboards , 18 radio stations, 2 print media partnerships, 1311 mail subscribers, 295 web2phone users. e.t.c.

Provision of Agricultural Production Information : FIT Uganda is in the process of developing tailored farmer Seasonal Crop card for the collection of production for subscribing farmers with the aim of linking them into a agribusiness supply network for sustainable marketing opportunities.

Provision of Farmer Business Record Management System with financial Linkage . FIT is in the process of profiling individual farmers for direct service delivery on farm records, individual Bio data identification and verification with aim of improving farmer financial linkages with current MFIs and commercial banks

Definition of Market Information

Market information is a business resource that contributes to know – how and increases the chances for agricultural chain actors to manage prevailing situations and plan for the future market opportunities

Commodity Value chains held together by the threads of information that flow within the chain for supply.

The Market information provides insight in Quantities , Available Markets, Quality desired, Time of

demand, allowed transaction cost, Current buyer preferences, market opportunities and ,the best price of the commodity in the current market.

Realities of Agricultural Sector A. Diminishing resources

B. Growing population

C. Changing land use

D. Un predictable crop prices

E. Increase demand for resources

F. Increasing social and Economic

pressures

G. Food Security

H. Un predictable weather

patterns

What are the Issues in Market Information

Irresponsive Market Information Services

Incomplete market information – untracked

Lack of appropriate data on facilitation linkages, process upgrades, price data on varieties, product diversification

opportunities, buyer coordination, Certified input suppliers, niches markets e.t.c

BRING WORLD INOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

DRAWING FROM GLOBAL EXPERIENCES IN AGMIS, WE FOCUS ON CREATING

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE REGIONAL TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES OF

FARMERS’ ACCESS TO BUSINESS

INFORMATION AND LINKAGE TO INCLUSIVE FINANCING

OPPORTUNITIES.

What are we doing NOW ? Or what can we do for you as a farmer , marketing group , associations and funding institution!!!!

Join Network of users by subscribing to sustain the service or aid others to Join

AGRICULTURAL MARKET INFORMATION SERVICES ON OFFER AT INFOTRADE

•Weekly Commodity Retail and Wholesale prices. By email

•Weekly Sector Selected Trends Analysis – see print media

•Media House Content exchange

•Agricultural Indicative Price Abstract ( AIPA)

•Sector Commodity Profiles. (SCP)

•Mobile information Access via 8555 ( Pull Service)

•Mobile Information Access via 8555 – web2phone- ( registered push

service)

•Interactive one stop Global Access Market Information Website

•Farmer Business Record Storage, verification and linkage Services

(FBRS)

•Farmer Identification Services (FIS)• Farmer Interactive Voice Response Services – coming soon !!!!

Market Information and Financing Linkage

Provision of Farmer Business Record Management System with financial Linkage . FIT is in the process of profiling individual farmers for direct service delivery on farm records, individual Bio data identification and verification with aim of improving farmer financial linkages with current MFIs and commercial banks

INFOTRADE e-Solution with commonwealth financial

card InfoTrade Agri-Business Programme

in partnership with Commonwealth Finance Solutions using the ZIPP international interchange.

The Card Financial Eco-System

The Card creates a secure, sustainable, business system

The Card realises and creates wealth for all involved

Card provides farmers with opportunities to save money save time eliminate wasted effort in their financial

transactions...

Using a principle of Financial Inclusion

Farmer

International & Domestic

Remittances

Micro Finance Institution

Agricultural Inputs

Provider

Wholesaler

Cooperative / Association

Processor

Consumer

Export/ Import

Financial Education Provider

Merchant

Key: card/account to card/account flow of produce/goods/agricultural inputs flow of services

Agribusiness Ecosystem

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Infotrade Coverage

Critical Success factors Sector Based MIS

A. Taking record of national production and baseline data all

identified production areas

B. Supporting the formalization of small holder farmers into

recognized producers linked to organized production and

marketing groups.

C. Change of Attitude of the farmers from single based

production to market based production

D. Orienting farmers to farming as a business – total enterprise

that requires record management and personal commitment .

E. Developing farm based information systems that can be linked

to market systems and supply chains.

Rural Data Network Agencies

Rural Information CentresNetwork Offices – Partner NGOs District Farmer Association offices District Commercial Officers – Pilot Service

Note : FIT is in the process of seeking partnerships and signing up with a number of member based organizations to support directly using ICT as tool for development while promoting service (BDS ) provision at the member organization.

Selected User Benefits

Farmers Business Record

Management Production Analysis

and projection Farmer Record

Verification and financial linkage

Customerised market information

Business coaching via DNA mentorship

DNA ( Network Agencies ) – Associations, Rural information Centers New products and

service programs to its members

Increase Member fees Area production data New Revenues

Streams Image creation

though partnership with Infotrade

Selected User Benefits

Local , National Governments Access to data for

local, regional and national resource planning

Early warning signals in markets and production trends

Comparative statistics for economic planning

Facilitating Organizations ( NGOs, M&E Data on

individual performance of farmers using business indicators

Access to usable data for proposal and concept development

Impact tracking

Empower your businesses