As part of the IFPRI Egypt Seminar in partnership with the World Bank, IFPRI Egyprt seminar “Innovations for Agricultural Development in Egypt”.

1. Innovations for Agricultural Development in Egypt:
combining digital technologies to inclusive business approaches
within agribusiness value chain strategy
by J. Dorra Fiani
Chairperson Knowledge Economy Foundation
Managing Director Knowledge Co. for Sustainable Development
June 20th, 2019
Bashaier Agribusiness Digital
Networks

2. Vision and mission
Vision
Knowledge applied to business activities enables bottom-up
empowerment, while generating entrepreneurship and competitiveness.
Mission
Support value chain strategies through the development of inclusive
business approaches, that integrate small holders into markets with
mutual benefits for the farmers and the business community, through the
use of digital technologies, to set-up sustainable marketing networks,
extension services and market information.
KEF/KSD
Egypt’s Agribusiness Knowledge & Marketing Systems are promoted by
Knowledge Economy Foundation (NGO), and operated by Knowledge Co.
for Sustainable Development.

3. Challenges and …
How to disrupt the most traditional sector?
 50%+ of Egyptians livelihood related to the agribusiness ecosystem
 7 million farmers and 40-45% rural women labor
 80% of cultivated land in small holdings of ±3 acres
 Representing the largest component of MSMEs and informal sector
 High level of crop losses reaching up to 40/50%
 Up to 4 M acres new desert reclamation in need of development
 Cooperatives not functioning depriving farmers from economy of scale
 No connection between small farmers, industry and research
 Rural exodus expels youth to urban slums or migration.

4. … and Opportunities
Data: the fertilizer of agriculture
 Customized extension services and technical support on mobile apps,
to enable spread of modern agriculture.
 Value chain strategies with inclusive approach matching large
operators to SMEs and small farmers groups to leverage exports, with
the use of digital linkage tools.
 Innovative marketing solutions combining the use of ICT to
the creation of new supply chain players and distribution schemes.
 Facilitating access to finance to provide alternative to the traders,
with the support of new digital payment gateways.
 Upgrading and aggregating small farmers to meet new food safety and
export regulations through capacity building of existing entities and/or
design of new structures/clusters.
 Promoting new agribusiness start-ups focused on youth and women
within VC strategies.

5.  Focused on the VCs with the highest potential for agribusiness SMEs
and small farmers, with specific networks for each value chain.
 Inclusive business approach supported by ICT tools.
 Market buyers linkages customized to their supply needs.
 Partnerships with state agencies for extension services on mobile.
 Leverage synergies for agribusiness SMEs through setting-up
the 1st agribusiness virtual BDS/incubator center: Agrirowad.
Bashaier network, covering the horticulture sector
Asmaknet network, covering the fish sector
Albannet network, covering the dairy sector
Pesticides Guide on mobile, 1st customized extension services
AgriRowad, the agribusiness SMEs BDS/incubator center
The Bashaier Model

6. Three integrated services for each network:
Needs assessment among small farmers in horticulture, fish and dairy
confirmed the same key requirements: “marketing of their produce”,
“quality inputs” , “extension services”, and “access to finance”, leading
to the adoption of the same network structure, supported by a common
platform management and call center.
▲ 1st agribusiness digital network on mobile and web:
Online marketplaces to buy/sell produce and input supplies with market
information and extension services.
▲ Value chain marketing management platform:
Managing market buyers and input suppliers contracts with SMEs/small
farmers’ communities.
Implementing programs for specific value chains.
▲ Small farmers’ associations network:
Capacity building of small farmers in cooperation with our network of
selected Coops/NGOs, with the set-up of youth enabled
“village entrepreneurs units” to coordinate buy/sell contracts and
technical info activities.
The virtuous triangle

7. The Online Marketplace
For horticulture, fish and dairy
➢ Buy and Sell Offers published
and matched and contacts notified.
➢ For crops and produce: with options:
spot deals, supply agreements,
contract farming.
➢ For input supplies cross
referenced with the produce.

8. Extension Services on Mobile
➢ First “Pesticides Guide”:
on mobile in cooperation with
the Ministry of Agriculture
“Pesticides Committee”.
➢ “Ask the Expert”
on mobile and web,
with the Agriculture Research
Center and World Fish (CGIAR)
➢ Weather forecast and technical
tips by SMS and mobile/web
notifications.

9. Marketing & Capacity Building
➢ Daily market prices on SMS
from Obour national wholesale
market and coverage by Bashaier
of smaller markets.
➢ Sourcing and managing farmers
supplies for market buyers.
➢ Capacity building and rural
development programs.

10. “From Farm to Export”
Export-oriented value chains with small farmers
 Focused on 3 horticulture crops part of the Ministry of Agriculture
program for export compliance certification of farms.
 Selecting crops with high labor intensive characteristics: strawberry,
guava and capsicum.
 Addressing the key problems of pesticides usage with the 1st
Pesticides Guide” on mobile developed with the Ministry of
Agriculture.
 Setting-up a value chain with the exporters and input suppliers
together with the small farmers by enabling their access to new
marketing channels and knowledge through their capacity building and
the use of ICT tools.
 The first devoted to strawberries starting in Qaliebeya and to extend
nationally.

11. “From Farm to Export”
An integrated program of export-oriented value chains
with small farmers

12. ► Potential
 Marketing services: alternative to the “buy/sell” function not fulfilled by
the Coops
 Extension and input supplies: alternative to the disappearance of
extension officers and poor service of inputs distributors/traders
 Agricultural services: provide access and/or implement services such as
“Spray Service Providers” for pesticides, rental of agriculture
machinery, supply of transport services.
► Agri-clinics Funding
 Cooperation with Agriculture Faculties to disseminate scheme among
youth as key target candidates.
 Potential funding through new national programs for start-ups funding
► On-going pilots
 Within Bashaier “from Farm to Export” project
The Village Entrepreneur Model

13. ► Key results to date: disrupting the “traders” monopoly
 Online marketplace:
 Buy and sell offers for produce in 2018: 871 offers
 Buy and sell offers for input supplies in 2018: 110 offers, these are
expected to surpass produce offers from launch of funding facilities
 Registered entities:
 120,000 fans
 Average 18000 active users monthly
 Extension services and pesticides guide subscribers: 15,000
 Noted cases:
 Use of daily wholesale market prices as benchmark in onions contract
farming
 Small farmers supplying directly oranges to pulp processing factory
Impact of knowledge transfer

14. ► Providing the needed focus on the sector vast diversification
Digital resource center and exchange platform
 Web-based resource center mapping all studies, researches, projects,
programs and funding sources to facilitate their linkages
 Series of key value chain analysis with updated statistics and geoportal
linking value chains to each area.
 Customized business models templates enabling to complete business
plans online.
 Linkages to the agribusiness research and training centers to provide
access to the needed technology for the start-ups and SMEs.
 Linking to the Egyptian diaspora of agribusiness related scientists,
corporates and investors.
AgriRowad: 1st agribusiness SMEs
and start-ups support center

15. Value chains and SMEs programs
 Leveraging Egypt’s SMEs and start-ups national strategy Vision 2030 in
favor of the agribusiness sector.
 Addressing the gaps in the agribusiness value chains
 Promoting new agribusiness SMEs and start-ups projects
 Linking with funding agencies, donors and large corporates CSR
programs to fund new SMEs projects to address the gaps in the
different value chains.
 Teaming-up with banks and MFIs to provide combined finance and
marketing/BSD services and customized financial instruments.
AgriRowad: 1st agribusiness SMEs
and start-ups support center –cont’d

16. ► Top Down
Capitalize on the growing trend of large off-takers sponsoring applied
research and capacity building of small farmers to build-up sustainable
supply chains.
► Bottom Up:
Promote the development of clusters and the combination of research
schemes to crop specific “marketing and extension” programs to generate
funding of small farmers groups.
► Institutionalize the management of value chains
Design and secure on-going funding of management platforms to secure
the linkages of cross sector activities within the respective value chains
The sustainability challenge

17. KEF/KSD projects

18. KEF/KSD Platform Sponsors and Partners