Linking Farmers to Markets

The three-year (2010-2013) Linking Farmers to Markets (FtM) project in northern Ghana is funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and implemented by IFDC. The Savanna Farmers Marketing Company (SFMC) Ltd., a farmer-owned company, partners with IFDC to help staple-crop farmers sell their produce (maize, rice, sorghum and soybeans) to large industrial buyers. It is anticipated that SFMC and local entrepreneurs supported by the project will increase their profitability by 30 percent.

The project staff are working to increase 50,000 farmers’ incomes by 15 to 20 percent and to create long-term business opportunities by developing new commercial linkages for these farmers with traders, marketing companies, processors and institutional buyers. By project-end, participating agro-industries should obtain 60 to 75 percent of their raw materials from farmers supported by the project. In addition, participating farmers will reduce transaction costs by 30 percent through collective action and increased linkages with buyers. FtM staff are working to address every point along the value chain, ensuring that no part of the chain is allowed to interrupt the profitable flow of produce from farmers to their markets.

FtM is impacting smallholders’ livelihoods by creating farmer alliances, training and equipping small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and building long-term relationships with national, regional and international produce purchasing companies.

Primary Objectives:

• Build alliances with partners to increase organizational management, technical and entrepreneurial skills of farmers in a collective environment.

• Strengthen capacities of linkage organizations and local entrepreneurs to provide effective marketing services.

• Build long-term business linkages and commercial relationships between farmers and buyers.

IFDC Progress (January-June 2011)

• Group Dynamics and Conflict Resolution Training:
  • 26 farmer group leaders in the Upper West Region attended “training of trainers” (ToT).
  • They in turn trained 1,493 primary community level (farmer-based organization) farmers.
• M-Farms Electronic Platform Roadmap Implementation:
  • 16 participants from seven partner stakeholders (SFMC, Wunpini Agro-Chemicals, Presby Agric, AMSIG, PASBY, GAABIC and ASI-Azarkinmu) were trained on the mobile phone application to test the platform and send feedback for the development of a final version.
  • 20 mobile phones with GPS capability were procured to test the platform.
  • 22 staff from 11 partner stations were trained to use the mobile application to update farmer cropping intentions for the crop year.
• Farmer Beneficiary Profiling and Database Development:
  • Six staff of Gundaa Produce Company were trained on GPS use for farmer profiling.
  • 773 farmers were successfully profiled and geo-referenced by trained staff.
  • 72 warehouses and 20 GPRTU stations were profiled and geo-referenced in the Upper East and West regions.
  • 22,000 farmers and 98 warehouses have been added to the platform.
• Alliance Partner Consultative Meetings:
  • Five consultative meetings held with potential partners to review activities of the past season and plans for the incoming season as well as to build alliances with new partners (N2AFRICA, City and Guilds and Engineers without Borders).
• Pre-Season Meetings:
  • A pre-season planning meeting was facilitated by FtM for executives of various farmer groups in the Yendi and Chereponi districts in the Northern Region to negotiate for tractor and plowing services.
  • Two other pre-season planning and price negotiation meetings were held with seven SMEs.
• Identification of SMEs and Needs Assessment:
  • Needs assessments for seven potential SMEs have been completed.
  • Assistance was provided to SFMC to develop and publish 1,000 copies of business and promotional brochures.
• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Data Collection and Analysis:
  • 80 percent of the 2010 data for M&E has been collected from alliance partner organizations.
     

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