final mfarm presentation slideshare june 2013 (3)
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Introduction to MFarmTRANSCRIPT
Mfarm LimitedBishop Magua Centre, Opposite Uchumi Hyper, Ng'ong RoadP.O. Box 19971-00202, Nairobi, Kenya+254 (0) 707 933 [email protected]
Introducing Mfarm
June 2013
Contents
• Who we are• How we work• Our Approach• The Technology• Our Model• Current overview• Impact• Our Journey to Date• Our Team• The Future
Who we are
Mfarm is a social business. We have created an award-winning SMS service to enable market access for disadvantaged Kenyan farmers Our goals are to: • Secure fairer prices for the small holder farmer
both for inputs and produce• Reduce abuse by brokers in agricultural value
chains• Improve quality and reliability of small holder
produce supply to market.
How we work
We aim to improve the efficiency and profitability for small holder farmers by:
• Providing real-time market price information and current agri-trends via SMS
• Linking farmers to buyers via SMS and our online market place
• Aggregating small farmer produce for sale via our own agent and collection point network
• Facilitating group buying of farming inputs (in progress)
Our Approach
We launched our agent network approach in 2012 to enable a broader reach of produce sale for small holder farmers. We currently have 18 agents across Kenya.
Our network of agents enable:
• Farmer recruitment to use the Mfarm system• Farmer registration and information/data collection• Training• Traceability• Reliable supply• Quality• Fair price
By end of 2013 we will have a network of 32 Mfarm agents developing and maintaining strong, trusted, fair-priced based trading relationships with farmers signed up to the Mfarm system.
Our model
The technology
Alongside our SMS shortcode service, Mfarm also has free apps on Google Play and Samsung Bada. These allows farmers to receive accurate, real-time crop price information daily, 6 days a week, being sourced from 5 major markets in Kenya: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Kitale.
Impact
To date the Mfarm system has enabled our registered farmers to receive on average twice the income that they would have received.
“Snow peas farmers in Kinangop always fell in the exploitative hands of brokers who bought a kilogram of snow peas at between Kes10 and Kes40. They had no market outlets except the middlemen. M-Farm did a comprehensive needs and value chain assessment and after understanding the challenges farmers faced, came to their aid by connecting them to a buyer. Today, six groups are trading with a major buyer.
The buyer provides the farmers with seeds and technical advise on cultivation practices that meet the market standards, guarantees market for their produce at way better prices than before and collects their produce at the farm gate.As a link, M-Farm connected the farmers with key partnerships such as farm input companies to offer training in crop management and fertilizer application as well as financial institutions for credit facilities. In addition, M-Farm trained the farmers on financial literacy and the importance of honoring contract agreements.
Today, these six groups, comprising of 20 farmers each, have been able to deliver an excess of 50tons of snow peas at a guaranteed price of Kes90 a kilogram. It is a new dawn for Kinangop farmers who for a long time their toil was not rewarded.
Making the connection is the way to go for smallholder farmers and M-Farm is providing that transparency platform by giving up-to-date market information, linking farmers to buyers and mapping the agricultural scene by analyzing new trends in the agribusiness industry “
Our TeamJamila AbassCEO and Founder
• Former medical records systems developer at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI/University of Washington)
• Graduated from the University of Abdelmalek Essaadi in Morocco in 2009 with a BSc in Computer Science
• Participated in the MIT/Nokia mobile technology entrepreneurship program in 2010• One of the first African entrepreneurs to be admitted to the Unreasonable Institute’s international
fellowship program (2012)
Susan OguyaCOO and Co-Founder
• Former mobile application developer at the Safaricom Academy• Graduated with a degree in Business and Information Technology from Strathmore University in 2010• Secured the Global Social Benefit Incubator scholarship at Santa Clara University in March 2012• Work placements in product marketing at Microsoft and microfinance and entrepreneurship training
at Kianda Foundation
Linda KwambokaCMO and Co-Founder
• Formerly president of the Student Enterprise Program, at Strathmore University• Graduated in 2011 with a BSc in Business and Information Technology
Revenue Models
Contract sales Advertising Data sales
diversified income streams: wholesale produce, corporate marketing clients, and data research clients
Working together
We’ve learnt and developed our approach to building connections with previously unreachable small farmers
We’ve completed a new funding round and are now fully funded to expand nationally:
We’re actively looking for strategic partners to be part of that national expansion, either:• Buying from our network of farmers and the produce
we have available.• Using the M-Farm system within your own supply
chains to improve engagement & transparency to find a better way of trading with small holders.
Contact us [email protected].
Thank you.