Cultivating Prosperity: How myAgro Prioritizes Farmers’ Success and Well-being

Fatou Dieng, a 38-year-old farmer from the southern region of Senegal in West Africa, has experienced a positive change in her life since joining myAgro last year and achieving her first successful harvest in 2022. Despite facing significant challenges in supporting her large family of 8 due to the rising cost of living, Fatou has seen encouraging progress in her farming practice.

Fatou invested in a myAgro package of fertilizer for a ¼ hectare of her farmland, where she cultivated groundnuts and successfully harvested ten bags.

“Last season was incredibly fruitful because I used fertilizer,” Fatou exclaimed with joy. “The season before that, I hardly harvested anything, almost nothing. But last season, my farm thrived.  I have  already sold a portion of my harvest.”

The substantial increase in yield meant that Fatou could sell a portion of her yield and meet a significant portion of her household expenses. Fatou can now afford to buy food, clothing, and pay for her children’s school fees and materials without worrying about making ends meet. The improved harvest has brought financial stability to her household in just one session, alleviating many of her previous concerns.

“What makes me happy is sending my children to school,” Fatou shares. “Before, It was tough to send them to school. I woke up every morning to sell sandwiches to pay their school fees. But now, with the income I make, I can provide everything my children need.”

Fatou has stored two bags of seeds for next planting season and has already invested in her next season package with myAgro for a half-hectare of fertilizer, doubling her previous package and expanding her planting ground. Fatou is determined to continue investing in her farm by utilizing modern farming techniques to improve her and her family’s livelihood. 

“The difference myAgro’s fertilizer has made is incredible,” Fatou explained. “The soil is healthier and more productive. Even when the rain stopped for a while this season, my crops did not rot because the plants were stronger. I have seen the difference myAgro’s inputs can make; it has transformed my farm.”

myAgro’s savings-led solution has provided Fatou with access to agricultural training and inputs. In addition, Fatou highly values the regular phone calls she receives from myAgro’s call center that proactively engages with its farmers. myAgro’s call center reaches out to remind farmers to make incremental payments, check in on their progress, collects feedback and offer additional guidance and encouragement for farmers to complete payments toward their packages little by little. Fatou appreciates this ongoing support, demonstrating myAgro’s commitment to the success and well-being of its farmers alike.

“Agricultural training is excellent,” Fatou said. “We learn new techniques and how to best use the fertilizer we have invested in. The call center also calls me sometimes to ask about my field and how it’s going. I also call them to thank them and let them know how much their support means to me.”

Fatou’s 15-year-old daughter, Counba Dieng, also noticed the positive change her mother’s efforts have had on the family. “Mum works really hard in the field. When we have a good harvest, it helps us a lot,” Counba shared. Witnessing the impact of her mother’s hard work. 

Farmers in communities like Fatou can be empowered with access to modern farming techniques and financial services that are hard to reach in many of the rural areas where myAgro operates. With myAgro, farmers can seek a better future for themselves in a rapidly changing world through the layaway model, which provides farmers with the means to save for inputs and ongoing training. Fatou’s success is a token for farmers to embrace innovative farming approaches and improve their livelihoods.