Mobile phones key to information, market access

United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) agricultural officer Matthews Raboin says the use of mobile phones can help farmers increase access to information and markets.

Through markets linkages initiative, Usaid has worked with several organisations including Umodzi Consulting and Esoko Networks to help farmers access information on how and where they can sell their farm produce at competitive prices.

Speaking at the opening of Umodzi Consulting—Esoko stakeholders forum in Lilongwe last week, Raboin said Esoko is a tool that costs relatively cheaper but adds substantial value to the organisations and programmes in which it is well utilised.

“With Esoko, we can send information to thousands of people with just the push of a button. Price information helps farmers to make informed decisions about where, how much and when to sell their agricultural produce.

“By allowing farmers to receive information, Esoko has helped to increase market transparency, ensuring that access price information for agricultural commodities in a timely manner can mean the difference between a price that perpetuates poverty and a price that can lift someone out of it,” he said.

Raboin cited a Dowa-based woman Sara Maunda whose life changed in June 2011 when she started using a cell phone to get prices for commodities.

“In June 2011 a grain trader arrived at Sara’s gate offering her K30 per kilo for her shelled groundnuts but she refused because she had by then received information the previous day that the price of groundnuts was K120 per kilogramme in Lilongwe.

“When she sold her nuts in Lilongwe, she had about K24 000 (about $60) as profit while if she had sold to the vendor, she could only make K4 500,” he said.

Esoko information technology manager Peter Pemba said the need for timely and accurate information was what compelled Agriculture Commodity Exchange for Africa (ACE) to use Esoko in April, 2011.