AGRICAN is a concept of rural based network agri-extension services and rural telephony franchise developed by enterprisEvolution (Proprietary) Limited.
AgriCan was conceptualized in 2007, from combined experience in agribusiness, telecommunications and franchising. The concept was driven by enterprisEvolution, whereas YMoS was supporting the day-to-day development of its pilot phase to reach proof of concept and further develop the business plan.
A marginal South African farmer is faced with several challenges that result in yields and quality being inferior by world standards. He/she lacks access to information such as best practices, accurate weather forecasts and up-to-date information on commodity and market prices. He lacks access to other market and is thus caught in the vicious cycle of sub-optimal use of farm inputs, higher cost of credit and lower price realizations on his produce, leading to insignificant disposable income for him and his family.
This is compounded by inefficient and in many cases non-existent AGRI extension support services available (outside of extension services provided by the private sector, within own supply chain development). Challenges in accessing state resources by way of sub-optimal performance of public sector mechanisms, processes and policies have compounded slow delivery in the transformation of the agricultural sector.
AgriCan has been made possible through the support and involvement of key agribusiness players like Omnia Fertilisers and Omnia Nutriology, the Grain Value Chain Network (GVCN), Old Mutual Foundation as well as Syngenta, Pannar and ABSA Bank.
The further aim of the pilot in the Eastern Cape was to contribute to a solution to reverse the under-performance of South African and African pre-commercial agriculture, so that the continent will be on the curve of greater dependence, food insecurity and increasing poverty. Through a franchising model to achieve scalability, AGRICAN brings together the key range of technologies, systems and partners to make this happen, in a manner that shares the risks and spreads the rewards.
