Learning from ICT-based market information systems roles in African food
chains: A Ghanaian pineapple supply chain case study
Abstract
Using Ghanaian experiences in pineapple supply chain development, the aim of this paper is to
investigate the using Market information Systems for designing a co-innovative ICT-based
approach for African food quality improvement for stakeholders’ better market access. Using
primary and secondary data from different chain value chain actors and support institutions, the
research found that the Information and Communication Technologies can constitute a potential
tool for pineapple quality conservation, timely market access and an updated market information
channel to reduce post-harvest losses. Lessons learnt from this case study can help designing
further research on co-innovative intervention strategies needed for policy making and
agribusiness development in African countries.
Key Words: Market access, ICTs, Information Systems, Innovation, quality
1. Introduction
Over the last 25 years, agricultural incomes in sub-Saharan Africa have on average grown by less
than 1% per year, the lowest rate in the world and significantly less than any other region (ONE,
2011). Sub-Saharan Africa is already seriously off track in meeting the Millennium Development
Goals to halve hunger and poverty by 2015. High food prices in local and global markets and
difficulties to meet buyers and consumers’ quality demand will likely delay this progress even
further. Pineapple is one of the commodities with high potentials to generate income through
local, regional and international markets access. However, quality demand for pineapple fruit
and processed products on international market is being significantly changing in the last decade.
The observant buyer in the EU will have noticed that pineapples have shrunk in recent years.
They have also become sweeter, juicier and more yellow. This is because the type of pineapple
being sold has changed from the Smooth Cayenne variety, predominantly supplied by Ghana and
Côte d’Ivoire, to the MD2 variety developed in Costa Rica (Fold and Gough, 2008, Barrientos et
al. 2009). From the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, consumer enthusiasm for fresh fruit and
vegetables grew and sea transport techniques with container cooling systems were developed
(Friedland, 1994). Costa Rica and Honduras increased their exports of fresh pineapples to the
US, with Costa Rica increasingly dominating in the latter half of the 1980s (Fold and Gough,
2008). Exports from Costa Rica stagnated in the early 1990s but grew dramatically from the mid
1990s reaching approximately 700,000 tonnes in 2004. Costa Rica has thus come to dominate the
global supply of fresh pineapple. Up to the late 1990s, the EU market was dominated by
pineapples from West Africa especially from Côte d’Ivoire. Production in Côte d’Ivoire started
to fall after the turn of the century but West African supplies to the EU have remained relatively
constant due to increased export from Ghana.
1
The last decade has been traumatic for the Ghanaian pineapple industry. The European demand
for the traditional Smooth Cayenne variety disappeared in a short time and simultaneously the
requirement for EUREP GAP certification became widespread. As consequence, smallholder
export of pineapples has closed down. There are now only eight significant exporting where five
years ago there were over 40 active exporters (Jaeger, 2008). The smallholder pineapple sector
has been hit particularly hard because they were reliant on exporters supplementing their own
production to make up volumes. As these players were unable to maintain a market presence in
the switchover there were no buyers for the smallholder output. Further, MD2 requires
substantial use of more inputs. It was the speed of withdrawal of demand for Smooth Cayenne
that hit the Ghanaian industry hard. Earlier market surveys had indicated that in a comparison of
Ghanaian and Central American (Costa Rica) products, importers were less concerned about the
variety than the performance of the Ghanaian exporters and the quality on delivery. European
imports of whole pineapples from Ghana have fallen from 44,000 tonnes in 2003 to 35,000
tonnes in 2007 and 40,000 in 2010 (Fig1).
Set against this scene are some positive developments: the roll out of MD2 is largely done and
material is widely available at a manageable cost, the production protocols are better understood,
100% of exports are GlobalGAP certified, Blue Skies are buying and cutting increasing
quantities of pineapple. In 2011, Blue Skies exports of 5,000 tonnes of pineapples equate to
15,000 tonnes of whole fruit.
One of the major implications of this situation is that the smallholder sector can regroup around
the traditional varieties (smooth cayenne and sugarloaf) to supply the local market and mostly
the processing factories as the juice yield of smooth cayenne is significantly greater than MD2.
The present research aims at investigating the Ghanaian experiences in pineapple supply and
how is the MIS using to convey information toward formers. The focus of the investigation was
to ascertain: (1) how is the pineapple supply chain organized, (2) what are the importance and
role of farmers’ organizations (3) what are the existing institutional supports and environment
enabling conducive and efficient contract arrangements, and (4) what are the roles ICT in market
information system and pineapple chain development.
2. Study context and justification
Pineapple production in Ghana is characterized by smallholder involvement in a non-traditional
export chain (Takane, 2004). The smallholders, however, ran into problems a few years into the
new millennium as competition from MD2 eroded the demand for Smooth Cayenne. Production
therefore transferred increasingly into the hands of large commercial companies who had the
capital to invest in the necessary cooling and packing facilities for MD2 (Danielou and Ravry,
2005). As consequence, for the smallholder farmers to be reintegrated in export – switching form
Smooth Cayenne to MD2 – they have to settle contract arrangements with the large commercial
companies in Ghana in order to cope with large investment needed.
We select the Ghanaian pineapple supply chain with a main purpose of looking at the best
practices in terms of the chain coordination the institution environment, transaction attributes, as
well as quality issues and quality enforcement mechanisms. Moreover, the Ghanaian pineapple
supply chain is now experiencing through esoko a market information system (MIS) using
mobile to convey and receive market information toward farmers. Lesson learnt from this case
2
study will serve as proxy to identify co-innovative governance mechanism for quality
improvement and high value market access of pineapple in Benin.
The major adding value of the present study to the literature is that it contributes to highlight the
roles and contributions of ICTs in agricultural food quality conservation and losses reduction,
which are less emphasized until now by authors. Lessons learnt from the Ghanaian case study
will help recommending strategic interventions for further research and policy intervention in
African countries especially in Benin for agrifood chains improvement.
3. Overview on Ghanaian pineapple sub-sector
Ghana’s main horticultural export products are pineapple, cashew, papaya, banana, mango, yam,
and vegetables and to a small extent fresh cut flowers. Growth in the horticultural subsector is
led by pineapples, the exports of which showed remarkable improvement from 9,754 tonnes in
1992 to 35,174 tonnes in 2001, resulting in an increase in foreign exchange earnings from a low
of USD4.4 million in 1992 to USD22.1 million in 2004 (Danielou and Ravry, 2005). The growth
in pineapple production has been due to favourable growing conditions. The quality of
pineapples varies. They are mainly marketed in Europe, where consumers have shifted their
preference towards an MD2 variety against the Smooth Cayenne produced in Ghana.
3.1. Private Sector Collaborative Organizations
The landscape of trade and industry associations has changed since 2003 with the appearance of
new groups and the decline in health of others. Overall, there needs to be rationalization: the
capability and potential of the clusters would be greatly enhanced by broadening the scope and
tackling problems that are common to all those interested in horticultural exports. It is clearly
inefficient to maintain separate secretariats and their overheads.
3.2. Umbrella Groups
The National Horticultural Task Force (NHTF) was established in 2003 as a broad-based private
sector led group representing produce and marketing organisations, public sector institutions and
the donor community. The NHTF maintains a website to share information on business
opportunities, regulations, markets and technology. The NHTF has been instrumental in
promoting the National Quality Assurance Scheme leading to the definition of the Ghana GAP
standard.
The Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) acts as an umbrella group for the
various trade associations and continues as the private sector institution for export development.
To some extent, the NHTF seems to have taken over the role of FAGE in the horticultural sector.
Membership of the Horticulturalists’ Association of Ghana (HAG) is declining and the
association now counts about 35 members. The role of HAG is even less clear now than five
years ago, although the stated aim is to promote Ghana on the horticultural map of the world.
The association seems to be repositioning itself to organize group export.
3
3.3. Farmer Associations
The Seafreight Pineapple Exporters’ of Ghana (SPEG) is now in poor shape. In 2004 there were
some 40 companies actively exporting pineapples, and membership dues and per pallet charges
for sea-freight gave the organization healthy revenue. By 2008 there are no more than 12 active
exporters; the General Manager reported that of 26 members only a third had paid their dues
from the start of the year. Reserves, which had been building until 2006, are now used up and the
overhead of offices and 10 employees are burdensome.
SPEG had assisted in the switch over to MD2 pineapples with $2mn loan from the Government
of Ghana. SPEG members travelled to Costa Rica to research the MD2 variety and its
production, and brought back plantlets for growing and multiplication. Using the tissue culture
laboratories of Bomarts Farms, Tongu Fruits and the research station at Binari the plantlets
became widely available at a subsidized price. The loan has yet to be repaid, with an average of
$30,000 per member owed.
SPEG insist that they should participate in the management of the refurbished Shed 9 at Tema.
To this end a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2007 with Golden Exotics to
develop the management of the facility. SPEG has made no progress since in resolving the issues
that prevent the opening of the shed, indeed it is not obvious that efforts have been made in this
direction. This raises the question of whether the general membership is interested in the
refurbished facility.
The future role of SPEG is unclear. GTZ, through the MOAP programme, are assisting in
redefining a strategy for the organization. The changes in SPEG must mirror the radical changes
that have taken place in the Ghanaian pineapple industry.
3.4. Pineapple processing
Three companies now dominate the pineapple export trade: Compagnie Fruitière of France are
the largest producer with their investment in Golden Exotics in Ghana, HPW of Switzerland acts
as a marketing umbrella for five Ghanaian producer/exporters, and Blue Skies of the United
Kingdom process some 15,000 tonnes of pineapples at Nsawam for export as fresh cut product.
In 2007, over 80% of pineapples destined for export, either whole or processed, were handled by
these three companies (Danielou and Ravry, 2005). There has been a major decline in other
players in the market. There remain a handful of SPEG members, such as Koranco and Chartered
Impex, still operating independently in the fresh pineapple export trade. The switch in demand to
MD2 and the imposition of GlobalGAP as a requirement dealt a further blow to companies
already struggling to compete against the Central and South American suppliers. Their demise
highlights the difficulty of outgrower-based exporters competing in the fresh produce market: not
only are the efficiencies of the grower exporters hard to match but the performance and agility
standards are challenging when co-ordinating different suppliers.
3.5. Pineapple marketing
The major change at the port, and an important achievement of HEII, is the refurbishment of the
fruit export shed at Tema, Shed 9. Cold storage for up to 1360 pallets has been installed. The
major works were completed in May/June 2007 but the facility has yet to be used. As at April
4
2008 there were still some minor works in progress (construction of access steps and a toilet
block) but the facility was ready to use, and, indeed, had been for nine months.
Since the mid-1990s, when sea-freighting of pineapples from Ghana began, Shed 9 at Tema port
has been used as the export shed for offloading, palletising, controlling and holding of
pineapples. The refurbishment of Shed 9 became a key component of HEII. Plans incorporated
improved ventilation throughout with a cooling facility at one end in addition to reefer container
handling, stuffing and plugging capability. As the concurrent programme of developing MD2
production moved on, so it became apparent that there would be a much bigger need for cold
storage at the port, particularly with the development of incoming investors such as Compagnie
Fruitière and their banana production. The HEII plans were amended to convert the whole of the
space at Shed9 into cold storage (in eight units of about 500m2 each), and the budget was
expanded by cancelling some other projects within HEII. Among those infrastructural
components sacrificed were the planned alterations for Kotoka International Airport (air-freight
of pineapples was likely to decline) and the up-country post harvest centres. Shed9 is now a
world class fruit export terminal. It remains shut, however, while the management and financing
of this facility is debated by the stakeholders. As for the air freighting limited cold storage is
sometimes available but cannot be relied on so product is generally delivered in a relatively short
window before loading can take place. Any mishaps or traffic on the roads will therefore be
penalised by missing the flight. The MiDA programme has a component for upgrading facilities
at the airport, but it is not certain that this will go ahead. It would be interesting to assess the
scale of losses at the airport: on some occasions consignments must be written off when heavy
rain interrupts re-packing or palletizing, but more frequently there is simply deterioration in
quality that impacts on the reputation and the return to the exporter “personal communications”.
4. Methodology
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
This study is carried out through a desk review of existing secondary sources of information
covering small scale agriculture and a wide range of pineapple value chain related services and
actors including staffs from ICTrelated
service
with
proven
Figure 1: Ghanian export trend
experiences and initiatives. The
80000
secondary data were collected from
70000
libraries, national public and private
research and development institutes
60000
including Universities, ministry of
50000
AIR (T)
agriculture (MoFA, MAEP), NGOs
40000
(GIZ,
Helvetas)
and
famers’
SEA (T)
30000
organization
(POs)
office.
Primary
TOTAL
20000
data was collected through field visits
10000
to institutions in Ghana and Benin.
0
Individual and group interviews with
key informants in the main pineapple
production area where undertaken. The
Source: Data collection 2011
primary data was collected form chain
actors in Grate Accra, Eastern and
5
Central regions (N’sawam, Awutu, Breku) in Ghana using an interview protocol. These area
were selected as the main pineapple producing areas in Ghana. Respondents include farmers,
farmers’ association leaders, and key informants from the ministry of agriculture, NGOs,
exporters (SPEG, HPW), traders (local market), processors (Blue Skies, HPW), research and
quality control services (PPRSD, Horticultural department of MoFA), development project
leader (EMQAP) market information service providers (Esoko-Ghana) input dealers and
distributors (AgroGate, AGLOW). A non-probability sampling approach was used as the
respondents were selected in a non-random manner using a convenience sampling techniques1.
Following thus approach, respondents are selected upon their experience in production and
trading activities, the production area, pineapple variety produced or processed, the membership
(or not) of a pineapple farmers. This combination resulted in a heterogeneous sample.
5. Finding and discussion
5.1. Market information systems using mobile phone in agri-food chains
Several
studies
examine
the
macroeconomic impact of ICT. Roller
and Waverman (2001) analyze 21
advanced countries over 20 years
(1970–90). They find a causal nonlinear
relationship
between
telecommunications
infrastructure
investment and economic performance,
where impact increases once countries
pass
a
certain
threshold
of
telecommunications access. Qiang and
Pitt (2004) find that ICT has made a
significant contribution to economic
growth across a wide range of countries
research that finds that broadband is an
important factor in social transformation
Figure 2 Mobile Cellular Subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa,
and improved service provision,
1998–2008.
particularly in rural areas, and that
Source : World Bank 2010
mobile
broadband
services
are
particularly well suited for improving the economic well-being of poor people (Lobo,
Novobilski, and Ghosh 2008). Countries that do not develop effective broadband infrastructure
may therefore be failing to capitalize on some of their economic growth potential (Gaasbeck and
Kristin 2008; Tolkoff 2007).
1
One justifiable use of a convenience sample is for exploratory purposes, that is, to get different views on
the dimensions of a problem, to probe for possible explanations or hypotheses, and to explore constructs
for dealing with particular problems or issues. See Marshall (1996) and Ferber (1977) for more detail on
convenience and judgment sampling techniques
6
The success of mobile communication has been very scalable, with large and small countries
experiencing rapid increases in network coverage and access
Contribution of innovative MIS to pineapple quality improvement
In most African countries, the mobile phone has facilitated farmers and several entrepreneurs
linkage and easy access to markets (Bertolini, 2004). The direct impact of the valorization of the
mobile phone use can significantly lead to a remarkable reduction in transaction costs, broadened
trade networks, and mostly products quality conservation through transport market search time
saving and importantly the reduction of the number intermediaries. Considering cellular phone
applications such as the SMS as the most important emerging ICT applications in Africa, the
study in Ghana showed that several advantages can be inferred from the promotion this
innovative technology. This finding comes to confirm results from previous studies in African
countries such as Kenya, where the National Agricultural and Livestock Extension Programme
in 2008 have successfully experienced the use of mobile phone-based information service
through the National Farmers Information Service. This has allowed providing extension
information to farmers using audio format in both English and local languages (such as
Kiswahili). Other cellular phone applications include the provision of market information and
electronic trading platforms, where farmers and traders access information on commodities being
(or to be) sold, their prices and the identity of their buyers and extension messages, such as
Tradenet.biz (Munyua et al., 2008). In Senegal, women are also using telecentres linked to the
internet via mobile phones to access market prices (Hafkin and Odame 2002). The mobile phone
is a used as an electronic money transfer channel. For instance, in Kenya the M-Pesa service is
an affordable and speedy option for money transfer from one person to another, using SMS. In
essence the phone subscription acts as a bank account and as a debit card and is being applied in
the agricultural sector to pay farm workers, and purchase farm inputs.
In Ghana, the ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with esoko service platform and local
companies that provide market information, a service that uses SMS for information delivery. In
Ghana as well as in Senegal, farmers can subscribe to real-time information on agricultural
product (fruits such as pineapple, fish, and cereals) via their cell phones. Likewise, fishermen in
Ghana and in other parts of the continent are using mobile phones to communicate information
on where to fish and where to supply their harvests, and also to obtain information on prevailing
weather conditions and prices, among others. However, the major challenges experienced by
farmers using mobile phones are due to their low literacy level to read and send SMS in both
local and official languages coupled with the lack of infrastructure such as electricity to charge
phones.
Esoko experience in MIS: a case study
Esoko is an agricultural market information platform. It is a response to the explosive growth of
cellular services in Africa. Managed on the web and delivered via mobile, individuals, agribusiness, government and projects use Esoko to collect and send out market data using simple
text messaging. The Esoko platform provides automatic and personalized price alerts, buy and
sell offers, bulk SMS messaging, stock counts and SMS polling. A private initiative based in
7
Accra, Ghana, Esoko was built and is supported by a team of over 60 local developers and
support staff. Along with the technology, Esoko has a partner support program focused on
capacity building and financial sustainability, with an emphasis on market data enumeration and
business development services. Transactions costs for farmers and traders have also fallen by
$2–$150 per transaction by significantly reducing the role of middlemen or cutting them out
altogether. It has also transformed mobile phones into a market bulletin increasing their utility
beyond voice and text. Esoko has succeeded mainly because it uses open source software,
enabling it to scale up, tailor business services to local needs, use affordable mobile telephony,
offer free listing of services, allow sending of and receipt of text messages in several languages,
provide real-time commodity prices, and provide direct access to markets worldwide. Like all
businesses, farming is based on having the right information at the right time. Farmers need to
know what crops to plant that will yield the best return on their investment of time and money.
They need to know the right techniques required gaining good yields and they need to know
what fertilizers and pesticides to apply to manage their crops. They need to know where to
source inputs, advice and credit. Above all, they need to know where and when to buy. Farming
is knowledge rewards those that are integrated into markets and value chains, and punishes those
that aren’t. And although it’s all too easy to underestimate knowledge that farmers already have,
the asymmetry of information throughout agriculture has unfairly rewarded some and excluded
others.
This deficit also works in reverse. Too often large buyers or processers are faced with the risk of
an uncertain supply. Not having information about what’s being grown where and in what
quantity means that large agri-industry (agribusiness) will not invest in the factories and mills
that run the risk of standing idle for a day for lack of supply. Due to the poor infrastructure of
roads, electricity and information, communities remain at risk. They are not integrated
appropriately into the value chain. Surplus markets often remain unaware of deficit markets,
even within the same country. Buyers spend so much reaching their farmers they often lack the
margins to pay a good price. And politicians are not immune: faced with food security alerts and
lacking real market intelligence, short term policies can be reactive and counter productive. For
the last forty years governments have been successful in collecting information from markets,
but have failed to find the speed and channels to deliver it to the public in a time that makes it
commercially valuable (Esoko, 2011). Data resides in Ministries in capitals, and too few
examples exist where such data initiatives have helped beyond the domain of policy planning.
For the first time, an information and telecommunications infrastructure is reaching into rural
communities across the continent. Riding across the top of this popular wave is a range of
pioneering services that seek to address opportunities that for too long have remain unsolved. For
the first time, market information can be collected by individuals anywhere and sent cheaply,
instantly, to central databases. Smart software can turn that data into personalized packaged
market alerts that can be forwarded and stored in the pockets of farmers everywhere. For the first
time, farmers are getting information that is current, relevant, and actionable. Businesses are
benefitting too, by saving thousands of Euros in transport, advertising and communication,
through simple but powerful SMS based solutions that can penetrate deep into rural communities
that were otherwise out of their reach or too expensive to manage. Value chains have grown,
while at the same time shortening the time and cost of linking the people within them.
8
Esoko provides a steady and accurate supply of public data on prices, offers and profiles. This
data is available to any mobile phone or Internet user anywhere in the world, in real time
Organizations can register their members to receive private SMS alerts on critical updates about
their activity. SMS alerts are sent out either as-they-happen (offers to buy & sell) or on specific
days of the week (prices). Other feeds (public or private) will be offered to subscribers like
weather, forex, extension advisories, inventory, forecasts, transport, traceability, disease and
more to come in 2012.
6. Conclusion
Findings of the present study have shown that the cellular phone have become important tools in
improving small-scale agriculture in rural areas. Esoko have shown an important experience in
African countries in getting market information to famers at right time. The study also found that
one of the direct impact ICT valorization using mobile phones is the reduction in transaction
costs, broadened trade networks and facilitated, and mostly products quality conservation by
saving transport and market search time and also the reducing of the number intermediaries.
Lesson learnt from this case study may be of high importance in developing and promotion
pineapple quality conservation and market access in Beninese pineapple supply chain. Therefore,
there is an important need to assess Benin what are existing infrastructures and intuitional
organizations and facilities that are need to implement such an innovative ICT use in market
access (so called co-innovation). Focus of future researches and investigations on this fields are
recommended. Importantly this will bridge the information gap that face pineapple farmer to
improve market intelligence, disseminate agric extension advices, and improve overall
efficiencies for pineapple quality improvement and timely market delivery.
9
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