News

The Guinean government has announced its intention to soon launch an electronic platform for the supply of agricultural inputs, reaching farmers in the remotest corners of the country, with the support of the West African Agricultural Productivity Program(PPAAO).

Access to seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs is a major challenge in Guinea and most other West African countries. Thanks to this electronic system, known as E-Voucher, remote rural communities and vulnerable agricultural producers can gain rapid access to the agricultural inputs they need to improve agricultural productivity.

According to the PPAAO Guinée communications department, this new platform will considerably improve seed distribution, enable better monitoring and reduce the losses observed during previous seed distribution exercises during each agricultural season.

"This is a real revolution in the distribution of agricultural inputs in Guinea, and will make up for the shortcomings noted in recent years in the distribution of seeds," explains an official of Guinea's National Chamber of Agriculture.

The prefectures of Kankan, Mandiana, Siguiri and Kouroussa (Kankan administrative region in Upper Guinea) will be involved in the pilot phase of the project.

Some 200 people are currently being trained in electronic system enrolment techniques.

"The implementation of this mechanism will significantly reduce losses during seed transport and delivery. This is a first, because the risks associated with logistical failures in transport, lack of information for producers and delays in delivery cause enormous damage to the country's farmers.

The system that will be put in place will ensure that the quantities of seeds and agricultural inputs delivered will reach the beneficiaries," explains Dr Boubacar Diallo, coordinator of PPAAO Guinée.

Guinea has received an additional loan from the World Bank under the WAPP to carry out activities aimed at strengthening research and development in Guinea. The implementation of this electronic platform for the distribution of agricultural inputs is part of this effort.