From Subsistence Agriculture to Successful Aggregator: Edmund's Journey

Forty-year-old Edmund Munubi had been subsistence farming on a small plot of land for years. He had a passion for agriculture and always dreamed of taking his farming to scale as an aggregator. Two seasons ago, after seeing other buyers' success, Edmund decided to take the leap and invest in Hass and Fuerte avocado aggregation for oil crushing. As an aggregator, Edmund's role is to collect products from small-scale farmers, process and package them, and then sell them to wholesalers or retailers.

But Edmund faced significant challenges in meeting quotas, as the farmers he wanted to work with were scattered and communication was difficult. To reach these farmers, he often had to rely on middlemen who charged high fees for their services, taking advantage of the lack of market information within the avocado value chain and the farmer’s lack of visibility in the marketplace.

At a farmers’ meeting in Njombe, Edmund learned about Agromovil, a new tech platform that links smallholder farmers directly with markets (and aggregators like Edmund). Thrilled at the prospect of connecting efficiently with farmers to find avocados and eliminating the costs associated with middlemen, Edmund worked with Agromovil Tanzania Lead Wilbert Mdete, an experienced agronomist and market access expert. He signed up for Agromovil immediately!

“With this app, I can boost my profits and the farmers will receive fair compensation for their hard work. We both win, " states Edmund.

With the money Edumund has been able to save through Agromovil, he dreams of expanding his farming business, adding 20 acres of avocado and 50 acres of passion fruit to his farm. He believes that the Agromovil platform will play a significant role in helping him achieve his goals. Already he calculates he has been able to recapture 103,000 TZS in costs that might have been captured by middlemen!

Edmund's story is a testament to the potential of the Agromovil App to transform agricultural value chains in Tanzania. By linking parties and providing direct access to farmers, the app is empowering small-scale farmers and aggregators like Edmund to succeed in the market.

"I like the fact that the app can link parties, and you can see the product and negotiate directly," Edmund says. "I would definitely recommend the app to my friends, especially farmers so that we can negotiate business in real-time."

Despite the challenges facing agricultural markets in Tanzania, Edmund's success story is an inspiration to other aspiring farmers and aggregators. With determination, innovation, and Agromovil, anything is possible in the agricultural value chain.