Watch this platform developed by agriSYMS, a Point of Light (POL), – as part of Africa I want Challenge – Digital Bridge2Market

Watch this platform developed by agriSYMS, a Point of Light (POL), – as part of Africa, I want Challenge – Digital Bridge2Market – in response to the challenges faced by the providers of agricultural outcomes who because of scale limitations pay more for less.

The Joburg Market, Africa’s largest market, located in Johannesburg, is one of the oldest physical fresh produce platforms that allow producers and customers to meet to change fresh produce.

The volumes traded are mind-boggling. The farmer delivers produce to the market. He appoints an agent to represent him in the market. The City Council owns the platform that is rented to agents. It charges a 5% fee on an invoice and the agent also gets a fee of 7.5% that comes from the products sold.

The farmer ends up with a residual of 87.5% from sales. The farmer benefits from convenience and the cost of using the market is outweighed by the benefits from convenience and outreach to a market.

Disputes around the relationship between man and land can be emotional and disruptive but what is unmistakable is that there exist no white or black agricultural outcomes because the land is common to all, inputs are the same and so is the output.

Cabbage is the same whether the value chain is black or white enabled. What may be a difference is that scale can determine viability and profitability.

A supply value chain approach to outcome deliverance allows average costs to be lowered and in turn for consumers to get affordable outcomes.

“The idea behind building a human bank is no different from a market being a bank of fresh produce and the sellers and buyers become part of a seamless ecosystem that allows market actors to meet and exchange goods using one common bridge.

Thanks to AgriSyms, a platform now exists to connect sellers and buyers in the agri-value chains to connect and do business using the 4IR as a digital bridge.

The power of technology to create new jobs in the value chains is instructive.”

Mr. Lovemore Chanengeta, Founder and CEO of AgriSyms, said: “I was inspired by some BOAF members to come out with an inclusive solution that responds to the seemingly apartheid-like agri-value ecosystem that pits small producers as parasitic and hopeless, yet the future of agriculture lies in small and independent producers who are organized and connected using technology to positively disrupt chains.

This seed-to-fork approach is timely at a time when future jobs are contested. Whoever imagined that the taxi industry as we knew it would surrender to the magic of blockchains?

If UBEREATS exists, for example, I believe that the revolution inherent in Agrisyms will soon break into the market that will allow farmers to buy inputs at the price paid by the strongest and least paying farmer in the chain.

The prospect of building a digitally enabled inclusive and cohesive agri-value chain is within our reach.

What remains is to raise awareness that the solutions exist and it is time to showcase what is available.

Please watch this video and share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z75UES_OZL0