“We had the idea to join forces and to enroll for a precision planter on behalf our group,” says the 44-year-old Adiara Diarra (pictured above, next to child), spokeswoman of her female savings group, located in the southern Sikasso region of Mali. “It will be easier to plant our land plots thanks to this beautiful instrument,” she adds enthusiastically, pointing at the precision planter.
In Mali and Senegal, typically only men own precision planters. Without a planter of their own, women are left to either plant by hand, which can be back-breaking and time consuming. Or they wait until their husbands are finished with the planter, causing them to plant late.
With myAgro, women farmers are able to rent or purchase a myAgro precision planter of their own. This allows them to easily pay for the planter little by little using myAgro’s mobile layaway system. “It also helps to strengthen our relationships within the group,” Adiara explains. This year, she and her group will put their money together to pay for a planter that they will share.
With access to the myAgro precision planter, women farmers can plant more quickly, using best-practice micro-dosing techniques that double their yields. They are also left with more time and energy for other priorities, like growing their small businesses and educating their children. #EquipAndEmpower
