Esoko: Large Scale Market for Agricultural Products in West Africa

Far from consumer zones in northern Ghana, where infrastructure is notoriously lacking and production is seasonal, Kujo Asumah is a smallholder farmer cultivating groundnuts, soya and maize. Like many farmers on a small wage, knowing the price of his crop in numerous markets is essential to his livelihood. Recently, his producer co-operative registered him for Esoko’s price alerts for all major markets in Ghana. When he was offered GHS 320 for his product in Tamale, he knew he could get much more 700 km away. With the information received on his mobile phone, he decided to ship the groundnuts to Accra and sold the crop for a higher price, doubling the income earned.

Agriculture in developing countries is one of the final frontiers to benefit from the technology revolution of the last two decades, and Esoko’s web and mobile based market information system (MIS) is on the forefront. Esoko seeks to improve incomes and build healthier, more efficient markets by disseminating market information via mobile. Built by Ghanaian software company BusyLab, Esoko began in 2004 as a platform used to collect and distribute price information using SMS and email. Since then, various partners have used the software and helped Esoko evolve and respond to the realities and opportunities in the field. Currently in ten countries, projects range from establishing a regional MIS covering three value chains for USAID’s Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (ATP) project in four West African countries to helping a Ghanaian animal feed company better manage its local supply chain for maize.

With Esoko’s suite of tools, farmers and traders can receive targeted, scheduled text messages on prices for different commodities, offers, or weather. Scout, a new feature to be released later in 2009, includes an automated polling system to track and monitor crop activities among suppliers or inventory among distributors; responses are sent by SMS and displayed on GIS maps. Esoko’s platform also helps businesses and associations market their services by creating websites and publishing SMS messages to thousands of users profiled on the system. Partner organisations can license Esoko — as a small business; a large association or project; or a franchise rolling out a country-wide program — and also benefit from Esoko’s training and support services to assist with the design and implementation of a successful and sustainable market information system.

Source: Sarah Bartlett and Laura Drewett, Esoko Communication Director and Partner Director.