Agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s economy, but its full potential is still hindered by various challenges such as underfunding, inaccessible inputs, climate change, limited market information, and failure to modernize.
However, there is renewed hope as technology continues to aid the conceptualization, development, and roll-out of platforms to address these issues. One such platform that is enabling thousands of farmers to get better yields and earn more from agriculture is ETG Inputs.
ETG Inputs is part of the wider Export Trading Group (ETG) that has been in operation since 1967. According to Ponsiano Byansi, an agronomist at ETG, ETG Inputs specifically deals with the importation and distribution of fertilizers, crop protection products, and extension services. But they are also making strides in the digital space to ensure that farmers are not left behind in the digital era.
“We address this through our ETG one-stop solution APP that ensures that farmers have access to finance services, market information, and crop protection information. Not every farmer knows what chemical is used to kill what pest. So, through the ETG One-Sop Solutions APP, we ensure that this information is readily available to farmers. So, a farmer can make a diagnosis of their crop using the ETG one-stop solution APP. S/he can be able to know what disease they have in the garden and through the APP, they can contact an agronomist who is ready to provide real-time advice on what product the farmer should use,” Mr Byansi said.
The ETG APP also provides farmers with a financial management and expenses tracking platform, allowing them to track down their expenses for a particular season. Additionally, the APP enables ETG to collect Know Your Customer (KYC) information for customers, thus extending credit to big commercial farmers and Agro-dealers.
“Our vision is to offer 360 happiness and create a sustainable impact in the lives of farmers. We have about 500 Agro-dealers spread across Uganda. We have so far reached over 100,000 farmers from across Uganda,” Byansi noted.
The ETG APP is available on the Google Play store, making it readily accessible and usable by all farmers. With its innovative features and wide reach, ETG Inputs is revolutionizing agriculture in Uganda, helping farmers overcome challenges and achieve better yields and profitability.
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