292
farmers, Econet Wireless provides a platform to digitally register farmers and disseminate information to them. Their shared interest (i.e., reaching farmers with
information) and mutually agreed delineation of responsibility (including management of project resources) allows autonomy and ease of operations when carrying
out specialised project activities. Additionally, ZFU and Econet Wireless have an
equal share of decisive power in project planning, programming and implementation, facilitated by regular project meetings, a joint project implementation plan,
and a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This also supports the management and dissemination of profit from farmer subscriptions to the information
services provided. The partners also share an online portal containing project statistics, including farmers’ subscriptions to the insurance product, billings and
payments.
This second-generation partnership––the two partners have previously worked
together in partnership––in Zimbabwe was established in 2015 with the aim of
providing farmers with highly valuable services at a minimum cost through
ICT. The services, collectively referred to as the original ZFU EcoFarmer Combo,
included: crop advice, weather index insurance, payment for ZFU membership
and funeral cover. This original combo reached approximately 39,000 farmers by
mid 2017.
The current ZFU EcoFarmer Combo costs 1 USD per month and includes all
the services in the original version, as well as weather information in real time,
toll-free phone information on drought tolerant seeds, and advice for crop and
livestock farmers (via the Dial-a-Mudhumeni phone in extension service). With
CTA support (especially regarding real-time weather data and increasing reach to
farmers) this current combo has reached approximately 10,000 farmers in the first
2 months of mobilization.
Table 25.1 (continued)
Country
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Malawi
Other
collaborating
partners
Public sector:
Meteorological Services
Department (MSD),
Government Extension
Service Department,
Zimpost
Public sector: Ministry of
Agriculture (MOA),
National Agricultural
Information Services
(NAIS), MOA Block and
Camp Agricultural
Extension Officers
Public sector:
Department of
Climate Change
and Meteorological
Services (DCCMS)
Private sector: Seed Co,
Pannar Seeds, Klein Karoo
(K2) Seeds, Agriseeds,
aWhere
Private sector: Seed
Companies
Private Sector:
NICO General
Insurance Limited,
Risk Shield
Consultants
a
The lead farmer is the main contact for the project and partner organisations. He/she is selected
from his/her peers in the community based on educational background as well as standing in the
community and is trained (as an entry point to the community). Lead farmers are given training
materials, a push bike and a schedule to train or disseminate the information to other farmers in
their respective locality
M. A. T. J. Kadzamira and O. C. Ajayi
farmers, Econet Wireless provides a platform to digitally register farmers and disseminate information to them. Their shared interest (i.e., reaching farmers with
information) and mutually agreed delineation of responsibility (including management of project resources) allows autonomy and ease of operations when carrying
out specialised project activities. Additionally, ZFU and Econet Wireless have an
equal share of decisive power in project planning, programming and implementation, facilitated by regular project meetings, a joint project implementation plan,
and a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This also supports the management and dissemination of profit from farmer subscriptions to the information
services provided. The partners also share an online portal containing project statistics, including farmers’ subscriptions to the insurance product, billings and
payments.
This second-generation partnership––the two partners have previously worked
together in partnership––in Zimbabwe was established in 2015 with the aim of
providing farmers with highly valuable services at a minimum cost through
ICT. The services, collectively referred to as the original ZFU EcoFarmer Combo,
included: crop advice, weather index insurance, payment for ZFU membership
and funeral cover. This original combo reached approximately 39,000 farmers by
mid 2017.
The current ZFU EcoFarmer Combo costs 1 USD per month and includes all
the services in the original version, as well as weather information in real time,
toll-free phone information on drought tolerant seeds, and advice for crop and
livestock farmers (via the Dial-a-Mudhumeni phone in extension service). With
CTA support (especially regarding real-time weather data and increasing reach to
farmers) this current combo has reached approximately 10,000 farmers in the first
2 months of mobilization.
Table 25.1 (continued)
Country
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Malawi
Other
collaborating
partners
Public sector:
Meteorological Services
Department (MSD),
Government Extension
Service Department,
Zimpost
Public sector: Ministry of
Agriculture (MOA),
National Agricultural
Information Services
(NAIS), MOA Block and
Camp Agricultural
Extension Officers
Public sector:
Department of
Climate Change
and Meteorological
Services (DCCMS)
Private sector: Seed Co,
Pannar Seeds, Klein Karoo
(K2) Seeds, Agriseeds,
aWhere
Private sector: Seed
Companies
Private Sector:
NICO General
Insurance Limited,
Risk Shield
Consultants
a
The lead farmer is the main contact for the project and partner organisations. He/she is selected
from his/her peers in the community based on educational background as well as standing in the
community and is trained (as an entry point to the community). Lead farmers are given training
materials, a push bike and a schedule to train or disseminate the information to other farmers in
their respective locality
M. A. T. J. Kadzamira and O. C. Ajayi