In 2SCALE we work with the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) as processors at the grassroot level. The BoP, in most cases, are consumers as well as smallholder farmers. More importantly, we see the BoP as key to unlocking the business value across the different agribusiness chains. Taking it further from the previous pilot, where we worked with female sorghum processors, we were able to start replication activities. These will ensure more women to have additional income. It will also deepen the practice of hygienic retailing of Fura da Nono - a Northern Nigeria drink that is native to the Fulani tribe. Fura da nono means millet and milk. Nono is a locally fermented milk with a consistency that is thick but not quite as thick as yoghurt - to BoP consumers in rural communities. In planning the replication, we worked with the women to settle on new feasible methods to scale out. We opted for the Business Model Canvas (BMC) in order to understand their present Fura business.
Development of marketing strategy with rural female sorghum processors
Workshop in local language-Hausa
The workshop was conducted in the local language -Hausa- because these women were not familiar with the English language. The use of Hausa was key in helping the women understand and engage during the workshop. The workshop sessions, which were aimed at enabling the women to outline their business strategies helped us gauge the women’s knowledge on cost and revenue. Most of the women did not fully understand the information required. Furthermore and after discussions, we were able to come to the conclusion that there were very low profit margins compared to the activities and input for the sorghum porridge Fura. In order to increase their profits, the women suggested new products like popped sorghum (this is similar to popcorn, made from iron biofortified sorghum instead of corn) and sorghum porridge -among others- to be added to Fura da Nono, which is currently the only product. These products were selected in terms of profitability for both the processors and their key partners, for retailers, the probability of making sales on the products and if they will be able to process the new products with less capital investments from the women.
Selection and cooperation with male counterparts
During selection, the women brought various local foods made out of sorghum, based on the criteria of profit, consumer desire, and feasibility to process and their understanding of the BMC. In two groups, the women further delivered a product pitch which was presented by to he male micro-retailers in each group. On the basis of the pitch, the women had a vote for the product best to process and sell to the consumers.
At the end of the workshop it was agreed that the women needed to receive support from their husbands to fulfill their business activities; for instance through purchase, the transport of raw materials needed and the supply of finished products to micro-retailers. This was for the purpose of guaranteeing buy-in from both parties, especially since the Fulani follow the patriarchal social system.