Ag Input e-verification system
Presenter: Bruce Kisitu, Consultant (Project Coordinator), CropLife
http://www.e-agriculture.org/content/video-developed-ifdcclame-sensitize-farmers-dangers-buying-fake-agro-chemicals
Unscrupulous entrepreneurs produce counterfeit pesticide packaging and fill it with inert product, sell inferior grain as quality seed and palm gravel off as fertiliser. Neither law enforcement agencies, Ministries of Agriculture nor the private sector have been able to make any real headway in reducing this illegal trading. With support from USAID through COMESA, IFDC is helping to eliminate counterfeit crops. IFDC staff members have designed a simple counter-measure in partnership with CropLife. The special label consists of a Holospot® combined with a barcode and scratch-off label, carrying a unique pack-specific number. These unique numbers are submitted as SMS queries to a local short code, 6799, which delivers a re-assuring authentication message within few seconds. The pilot resulted in an overall increase in market share of 19% for products with e-verification, and increased demand for the special packs.
Room: Booth 7