Essymart Africa, a social enterprise in Uganda, is making headlines for its significant impact on the country’s agricultural sector. The enterprise’s mission is to promote food security and improve the quality of life of rural smallholder farmers in a country where over 70% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods.
Since its launch in June 2020, Essymart Africa has been delivering tech-enabled solutions to farmers, providing access to genuine, high-quality, and affordable farm inputs, virtual extension services, and reliable market linkages through its web app, bulk SMS, voice calls, and USSD code.
In an interview, the CEO of Essymart Africa, Emma Naluyima, emphasised the importance of supporting smallholder farmers to increase production, efficiency, and profitability, saying that failure to do so would lead to “increased food insecurity and poverty among rural farming communities.”
Naluyima added that the enterprise’s impact is not limited to the farmers but extends to the rural economy as a whole, as increased productivity and profitability translate to more income and better livelihoods for the communities.
Essymart Africa’s work has not gone unnoticed, as it has won several awards, including the Best Social Enterprise Award at the 2021 Africa Tech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.
The enterprise has also partnered with local NGOs, government agencies, and other stakeholders to expand its reach and impact.
According to the World Bank, agriculture accounts for 25% of Uganda’s GDP. However, smallholder farmers in rural areas struggle to access quality farm inputs and extension services, limiting their production capacity and profitability.
Essymart Africa is addressing these challenges by connecting smallholder farmers with certified suppliers and manufacturers of quality farm inputs, delivering them directly to their doorstep. This has saved farmers time and money and has increased their productivity and profitability.
Additionally, Essymart Africa provides virtual extension services through its web app, bulk SMS, voice calls, and USSD code, enabling farmers to access information on best farming practices, weather updates, and market prices.
To scale its impact and reach more smallholder farmers in Uganda, Essymart Africa is participating in GITEX Africa 2023, a technology conference that brings together mobile operators, tech entrepreneurs, start-ups, and investors to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the industry. Naluyima hopes to meet potential investors at the event to further Essymart Africa’s mission of driving socio-economic development in Uganda through agriculture.
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