In rural West Africa, many smallholder farmers are unable to maximize the potential of their farmlands. Even though the average size of a farm in Mali and Senegal is only 5 hectares, the chronic shortage of labor and a short 2-4 week planting period limits farmers to effectively use fertilizer on less than 25% of their field. This means 4/5 of their land are unsustainably farmed and produce low yields. With low yields, farmer families suffer food shortages, malnutrition, and low earning potential year after year.
Say hello to our precision planter.
Under development at myAgro since 2012, our precision planter is a mechanized, ox-drawn tool that automatically plants seeds at uniform, measured distances while also microdosing the ideal amount of fertilizer to maximize plant growth.
It enables farmers to plant 100% of their arable land during the short West African planting season, while cutting planting time by 2/3. Farmers who plant with a precision planter are able to increase their harvest yields by 50 – 100%.
A critical tool for women farmers.
The smallholders who will benefit the most from these precision planters are women farmers.
Generally, it is only men who own precision planters. Planting by hand is an exhaustive and backbreaking burden disproportionately borne by women. Moreover, women usually have to help plant their husband’s fields first before they can plant their own.
With a short rainy season, they miss the best time to plant for an ideal harvest, limiting the amount of land they can plant, the yields in their fields, and the food they have to feed their kids.
Providing women with access to a precision planter changes all that. Not only can they plant more quickly, they can now plant all of their land using best-practice micro-dosing techniques that double their yields. It also leaves them more time and energy for other priorities, like growing their small businesses and educating their children.
A game-changer for West African agriculture.
myAgro’s precision planter is a game-changer for West African agriculture. Instead of spending days doing backbreaking work that results in low yields, farmers can now plant using better, modern techniques that protect soil health in a timely manner. The results speak for themselves! Sekou, a 3rd year myAgro farmer and vendor, agrees and told us, “I don’t know how to describe the importance of this machine.”
myAgro believes that the precision planter can support smallholder farmers like Sekou to reach more of their agricultural potential, and ultimately, help increase food security and farm income for thousands of farm families across West Africa.
