Farmbook Suite
Developing Agricultural
Advisory Services For
Smallholder Farmers
Shaun Ferris
Our Opportunity
• Helping Farmers to shift from traditional
farming methods and thinking into being
more commercially minded
• Sharing information to inform farmers in
better decision making and measure the value
of our extension work.
Our Challenges
• Developing tools that help Field Agents to
become business advisors as well as
production specialists.
• AND
• Convincing Managers to see VALUE in
investing in new technologies and being part
of a data driven management process
Hierarchy of Support
Manages the data
System
Uses the took kit
To help farmers
Manager
Field Agent
Adopts new
technologies
and methods
using results
Farmer Group
Outcome: Improved
production and
market performance
Value chain partners
Market
What do farmers what to know?
1. How do I grow more?
• Farm size, cash, fertility, water
2. How can I sell more?
• What are my market options?
3. What is my Yield GAP?
• Benchmark with local yields?
4.How much will upgrading cost?
• Planning scenarios
5.What could I earn?
Farmbook digital services
e-Valuate
REGISTERING CLIENTS
BASELINE DATA
EASIER AND MORE ACCURATE
DATA COLLECTION
FASTER
DATA TRANSFER
REAL-TIME
DECISION-MAKING
Digital Forms for data Capture
CONTEXT Famer Segments
Raising productivity
Increasing income
Improving resilience
5%
25%
Market Push
65%
Market Pull
Linking farmers to Markets
Farmer Coop
GROW
Trainer
Trainer
Field Agent
Field Agent
Farmer Group
BUILD
Market
Trainer
Field Agent
RECOVER
Farmer Group
e-learning
STANDARDIZED TRAINING
Training is first focused on the Field Agent
Manager
Field Agent
Farmer Group
Market
Building SMART Skills for Field Agents
Introduction to the 5 skills
Innovation
Finance
NRM
Marketing
Group Organization
Field agents access training through
face to face and e-learning processes
14
Monitoring Distance Learning
e-mapping
MAPPING SERVICE DELIVERY
Field Agents Record Service Delivery
e-biz planning
BUSINESS ADVICE
FARMBOOK
ICT APPROACHES FOR TRAINING, AGRIBUSINESS AND M&E
Farmer facing information
What can you do with Farmbook
•
•
•
•
•
•
Register farmers into groups
Assess profitability of target products
Develop and share Business plans
Track business progress
Record sales
Provide reports to farmers and cloud
Participatory Business Planning Tools
Farmbook Profit assessment
Technology Partners
Monitoring Evaluation and Learning
Analytics & Mapping
Portfolio
Management
Farmer Tools
Biz planner
Open Data
Building Digital Extension Services
• Configure a package of services
– Map tools to a common data model
• Provide standard training to field force
– Monitor effectiveness
• Target training to support farmer segments
– Monitor services delivered
• Provide business information to farmers
– Monitor farmer market performance
– Record progress against standard methods
• Privatize information services
– Assess service costs and value against investments