Africa-Press – Lesotho. Ramotebang Moabi, the previous day received a short message on his mobile phone inviting him to go to the nearest Agricultural Resource Centre to collect agricultural inputs. The message carried also a coupon or voucher code.
At the Matsieng sub-centre, he presents the SMS and the voucher code, and the national identity number to the agro-dealer who enters his name in the electronic voucher management system. After, a confirmation message is sent to Ramotebang’s phone for verification, and is ready to redeem the agricultural package.
The voucher codes (e-vouchers) system is being piloted in the distribution of livelihood support to vulnerable farmers that were affected by COVID-19 pandemic and floods that hit some parts of Lesotho worsening the food insecurity situation.
The heavy rains that hit Ramotebang’s area, destroyed his maize and beans on 5-acres exposing his family to food insecurity and poor incomes. He received agricultural package including fertilizer, maize and bean seeds from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), thanks to the European Union financial support.
The agricultural input support is targeting about 3 000 farming households in Mafeteng and Maseru districts to recover and restore their livelihoods. Each farmer received 10 kilos of Maize, 10 kilos of beans and 50 kilos of fertilizer.
Saving money and resources Although the current distribution process is tedious, the e-voucher system saves time and resources in mobilizing farmers. Additionally, it is helping to establish a direct contact between farmer and agro-dealer.
“Under the present set up, mobilizing farmers for agricultural inputs distribution entails traveling to areas of the selected farmers to inform the village Chiefs to invite the concerned households.
Yet some farmers live in remote areas especially those living in the mountains. We need at least three days for the message to get to the farmers,” said Nkopane Moifo, Agriculture assistant coordinating input distribution at Matsieng sub-centre.
The e-voucher will be an effective tool in real-time monitoring and evaluation of input distribution to farmers; it will be easy to know the number of farmers supported at the end of the season. Strengthening the role of the private sector
The e-voucher system distribution of the input is meant to improve the supply and delivery of the inputs to the farmers through local agro-dealers, but furthermore, it will boost the capacity of agro-dealers to deliver agricultural inputs to the vulnerable farmers even in emergencies.
The agro-dealers are appreciating the e-voucher system saying it is fast, appropriate and doesn’t crack. The list of selected households participating in the e-voucher system was uploaded into the online Farmer Registry platform developed by FAO under the Lesotho Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (LIAMIS).
The system links the agro-dealer database, the national Farmer Registry to provide timely access to inputs and agro-services at the same time. “This e-voucher system is in line with the government of Lesotho’s plan to implement a private sector led agricultural development where local agrodealers participate in the procurement of agricultural inputs to the farmers within their area of operation.
This will remove government extension staff from directly getting involved in distribution of inputs and allow them focus on provision of extension services,” said David Mwesigwa, FAO Emergency and Resilience Coordinator in Lesotho. How the e-voucher platform works
The e-voucher system is a digital platform-based solution that sends out electronic vouchers by SMS to the mobile phone of farmers notifying them to visit agrodealers in specified locations and receive agricultural inputs of their choice based on a predetermined value.
The farmer presents the national identification number, SMS and voucher number to the agro-dealer; when the details match, the agro-dealer sends out a confirmation voucher code to the farmer’s mobile phone to ascertain the farmer’s eligibility.
Upon receiving the confirmation, the agro-dealer proceeds to give the farmer the identified inputs. However, since the e-voucher system is SMS-based, farmers are being sensitized not to delete SMS messages and voucher codes received on their mobile phones.
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