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PINEAPPLE EXPRESS Peer learning & peer networking for Sri Lankan pineapple farmers Presented at RHoK December 4, 2011

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PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

Peer learning & peer networking for Sri Lankan pineapple farmers

Presented at RHoK December 4, 2011

THE BRIEF

Background

• Pineapple farming is simple and lucrative.• Myths and challenges around the crop in Sri

Lanka.• 3 ways to grow pineapples: starting with saplings

is most common.• A bad sapling yields a bad crop, with no way to

tell until 2 years later at harvest.• Pineapples as a product: types, size, quality, etc.• Sri Lanka has Provinces/Districts/Cities

Farmers

• Farmers need a tool to reduce cost of acquisition and increase sales.

• Access to WAP/SMS, limited/infrequent web access.

• Incoming calls are free: cell phone services are among the cheapest in the world.

• Want ability to crowd source information & better sources/buyers.

Buyers & Administrators

• Have more access to the internet.• Buyers willing to travel (or outsource) for top

crops.• Buyers resell pineapples (hotels, canneries,

etc.) to customers• Prices are negotiated per kg or per unit.• Administrators like Helani need moderation &

reporting tools.

OUR VISION

Why We Chose This Project

• Clear ask with clear goals– Save farmers 11% cost, increase sales, provide

resources.• Scalable & extensible– Tools can be repurposed for other agricultural

products and other industries.• Inspiring challenge– Give indebted farmers the ability to make smarter

choices, promote themselves, and succeed!

Our Approach

• Priority 1: Drive sales for farmers– Other features for sapling purchase, ratings, buyer requests to

come later.– Divide & conquer agile pairings for dev.

• Strong usability– Intuitive, simple interfaces.

• Design for the culture– Preference for warm, rich and lively earth tones.

• Source value-added content– Internet access may be limited, but good information spreads.

Our Challenges

• Older technology • Limited exposure to WAP

development in North America• Lack of documentation• Limited time & resources

Our Objective

Help farmers sell more crops at lower cost/aquisition!

OUR SOLUTION

Overview

B2B Marketplace connecting Farmers & Buyers

• Website – Value-added information & content– Data (Farmer Directory, daily market value/area, etc.)– Promote the project– Open Source CMS – Easy to build on or replicate for other scenarios

• WAP in-field tools– Registration– Subscription– Listings

Functionality

Registration Process • Simple: phone number, location, name• Phone based WAP registration• Auth via SMS: password is sent via text message• Locations are pre-populated (choice-based)

Functionality

Posting Your Product• Via WAP: phone number, password • Information – Quantity (units) – Price (per unit) – When (date when harvest available) – Size (1-5) – Quality (1-5) – Returns a listing ID

Functionality

Buyers • WAP interface for listing entries• Location filters• 5/page navigation - 2'000KB limit per WAP page

Implementation

• Wordpress plugin• Multilingual support• Large user base• Easy to install and administer• Complements the informative nature of the

site• 2 extra database tables• bit.ly shortcuts for WAP

FUTURE OF PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

Getting to Market

• Complete the software – Wrap up the WAP– Finalize website (value-added features, content)

• Trial Release– Sample field release in Sri Lanka: target ENG users– Launch the WP Open Source Plug-in

• Full field release– Final bug fixes & translation in Sinhala rolled out

together

Phase 2… and Beyond!

• Promote the PHP plug-in – Feature site for the tool– Beyond pineapples – Multi-sector repurposing:

• Real Estate• Agriculture• Consumer Advocacy • Etc…

• Build recognition & dev community– Open source on bitbucket – Available on Wordpress – Writing simple and clean APIs for websites

CONCLUSION

That’s it, that’s all! Questions?