About the project
e-Trade platform of Central Asia for agriculture is an online platform where suppliers can post their offers, and consumers look for various goods and services from any device: computers, smartphones, and tablets (through special developed mobile app). Marketplace gives the opportunity to contact the owner of the goods by phone or email. For the publication of the advertisement, the user has to register in the system. Trading platform is available for use in four languages: Russian, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and English.
Description
e-Agri-Trade - an agricultural trade platform allows posting ads on the sale and purchase of agricultural products, agri-input supplies, techniques, equipment, packaging, etc. at the level of two countries – Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Ads also can be posted by interested parties from other countries. There is a possibility of direct contact with the owner of products/ads through telephone and e-mail. The system was developed in 2016 by the consortium of Neksigol and AgroInformAsia with the technical guidance of UNDP under the "Aid for Trade in Central Asia" project.
Technology description
e-Agri-Trade is implemented as the web-platform and Android mobile app and ads can be accessed and added through the Internet on computers, tablets and smartphones. The following functions are implemented in the web-platform and mobile app: - Posting ads after a simple registration - Searching for ads by keyword and categories - View contact data of ads owner (phone and e-mail) - Adding product photos made on a smartphone or taken from the Internet Users can work on the platform in one of the four languages: Tajik, Kyrgyz, Russian and English.
Users’ description
The users of the trading platform are diverse and can range from small- to large farmers, as well as other actors of food supply chains. Users have to be registered for posting ads. Registration is free and takes less than a minute. Activation by the administrator is not required. The registered users can administer their own ads and save ads they like in the favourite list.
Business model description
The web-based platform and the Android mobile app are open sources and ads can be accessed and added for free. Although, two types of in-app advertising are implemented in the web-based platform and Android mobile app, that is Google Ads and its own module for displaying ads about seeds, crop protection products, fertilizers etc. from specific advertisers. The costs are 10$/monthly or 50$/yearly.
Challenges
Due to lack of access to digital devices, high cost and poor quality of the internet and low digital literacy in rural Tajikistan, farmers are limited in the use of the agricultural trading platform. Therefore, village advisors and other extension specialists are involved to help farmers by posting ads on the trading platform. Also, farmers can call the Call Centre and ask to post their ads.
Impact
e-Agri-Trade provides farmers and other actors of food supply chains with the opportunity to use digital technologies to find buyers and sell their products. It links the supply and demand of the food supply chain, allowing consumers to buy directly from farmers or farmers to buy from input suppliers, etc. There are more than 3 000 users per month.
