September 26, 2019

Dôni Dôni improving access to inputs for Danderesso farmers

One of the advantages of Dôni Dôni is that it's reassuring for farmers to have access to essential inputs - before the start of the farming season

In the village of Danderesso, located 35 km from the town of Sikasso, producers struggle to receive inputs in a timely manner at the beginning of the agricultural season. There are a number of reasons for this: impassable roads to reach Sikasso during the rainy season, late delivery of fertilizer subsidized by the government or the lack of purchasing power for farmers to buy fertilizer locally. In short, a whole range of constraints that can negatively impact agricultural yields.

Meet Abdoulaye Dembélé, a farmer who lives with his two wives and 12 children in Danderesso. He is one of the first farmers who subscribed to the Dôni Dôni service offered by local seed producer and distributor Dounkafa. The savings platform enables farmers to save small amounts of money via their mobile phone and to use these savings to buy inputs. After the successful pilot phase in 2018, 2SCALE has facilitated the popularization of this innovative fintech solution.

It is said: forewarned is forearmed. Abdoulaye says:

Every year, we place a great deal of hope on the government fertilizer subsidy that always comes in late. And this year especially, even those who had cash could not find fertilizer on the local market. We are the only farmers in the village who were able to get their inputs on time. And that has been possible thanks to Dôni Dôni

We used to save a lot of money. But just on the eve of the farming season, another emergency could cause us to spend everything and sink into problems. But with Dôni Dôni, we are sure that whatever the situation may be, we will have our inputs at the right time

He is also also an agricultural equipment dealer in the market of Danderesso. Thanks to his belief in the Dôni Dôni service, Dounkafa set up a convenience kiosk in Danderesso and entrusted the management to Abdoulaye. Today, he invites other farmers in his area to subscribe to the Dôni Dôni service and to receive inputs when they need them.

Currently, a Memorandum of Understanding is being developed between 2SCALE and Dounkafa to replicate the Dôni Dôni system in other locations across Mali.

Stay tuned for upcoming updates on this promising new initiative.

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