Capacity Building of Local Entrepreneurs to Improve the Distribution of PICS Bags

in West and Central Africa

PICS Lessons Learned WorkshopApril 11, 2012

D. Baributsa, J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, T. Abdoulaye, M. Shehu, C. Lontchi, S. Issaka, P. Batana,

E. Korankye and O. Anyebe

Purdue University

Farmers Farmers Organisations Cereal banks Cowpea

vendors

Supply bags-

Supply chain Supply chain Supply bags-

Supply chain Supply chain

Create demand- AwarenessAwareness

BuildingBuilding

Create demand- AwarenessAwareness

BuildingBuilding

Distributors

Semi-wholesalers Semi-wholesalers

Manufacturers

Vendors Vendors VendorsVendors

Making Cowpea Storage Technology Available to Farmers

Supply Chain Development

PICS bag retailers

PICS bag manufacturers

PICS bag vendors

However, farmers have complained about the availability of PICS bags in rural communities.

Capacity Building Activities

- PICS bags is a new product- awareness building is required for manufacturers, distributors, vendors, etc.

- Help manufacturers meet PICS bag specifications- quality control

- Provide feedback to manufacturers from end-users: farmers, and other users to address issues (sealing, missing bags, etc.)

- Facilitate negotiations among supply chain members-order, payments, etc.

- Help distributors promote, and expand retail distribution networks

- Train distributor and vendors to facilitate collaboration and build trust.

Capacity Building Activities

Key Constraints to Adoption

Its possible to have large adoptions/quick impact in rural communities in less than 2 years

Producteurs se plaignent de la distance aux points de ventes des sacs PICS

Adoption des sacs PICS

Information sur le Marche Niger et Burkina Niger DT Niger MZT Burkina

Distance ou les sacs sont vendus 5.8 12.5 9

Distance au Marché 5.4 8.1 7

% des marches ou les sacs sont vendus 30 25 40

Proportion du niebe stocke avec sacs PICS-2009 38% 7% 30%

Trainings serve as platform for:-identifying and discussing supply chain issues-recruiting new vendors -Teach them how to use PICS bags.

Trainings three components:-Presentation of the project-Supply Chain- Discussion- led by distributor

• Sixty percent of the trainees were PICS bag vendors while the rest were entrepreneurs interested in the PICS bag business.

• PICS bag vendors were recruited by:distributors (55.6%), project through consultants,

radio messages, etc. (20.6%), colleagues and friends

(11.1%)demand by farmers (12.7%).

Background of Vendors

Sales Strategies used by vendors

Of course many vendors say they know how to use PICS

bags43% attended demonstration

61% stored cowpea.

Challenges and strategies to increase bags sales

- Quality include defective and missing bags- Availability- access and timely

Exercise with vendors on cost-benefit analysis of cowpea storage showed that PICS bags used twice were a cheaper and low risk alternative to insecticides.

Trainings helped vendors understand: Project learn how vendors do their business Vendors learn how to properly use PICS bags Approach to market development of PICS bags Market seasonality of PICS bags Strategies to increase sales (roaming vendors) Develop collaboration and trust among supply

chain members (distributors, manufacturers,…) Address several challenges- margins, quality,

transportations, etc.

Thank you for your Thank you for your attention!attention!

Questions!Questions!