USAID, SMS Messages Help Farmers Get a Better Price

USAID, SMS Messages Help Farmers Get a Better Price

JANUARY 30, 2009     Today at a signing ceremony at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched its new SMS-based market information system, SITA, to support Albania’s farmers and agribusinesses. Thanks to the collaborative efforts between USAID and the Ministry, now farmers and traders can receive daily price information as an SMS message for major commodities in six wholesale markets across Albania. 

One of the main constraints in the sector has been the lack of timely and reliable information about current trade opportunities and conditions for farmers and agribusinesses.

Through USAID’s Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness (AAC) program, this market information system will improve access to data so that famers can make more informed decisions about where and when to sell their products.

At the ceremony, USAID’s Mission Director, Roberta Mahoney, thanked the Ministry for its support and collaboration on this effort. “The foundation of any market-based system is good information and data about products being bought and sold. The more information we can share, the more dynamic and competitive farmers and the market will become.”

In the next two months the SMS system will provide on-demand data for a larger number of commodities. Farmers, traders, processors or anyone interested in receiving the information will be able to send a text message requesting data, and will receive a response fifteen seconds later.

The Minister of Agriculture appreciated the support from USAID and promised the continued collaboration of the Ministry to strengthen the market information system, which will enable Albanian farmers to make informed decisions, while engaging in agriculture as a commercial venture.

The SMS system is just one of the areas that USAID and the Ministry will be working in the coming months. At the ceremony, officials also signed a memorandum of understanding, outlining ways the project with work with the Ministry to improve the productive capacity of Albanian farmers, develop more agricultural marketing networks, and expand the market information system.

During the event, the audience received a text message with price data for tomato, categorized by variety, grade and wholesale market, showing the type of data currently being provided to commercial farmers and traders.

To request a “SITA” daily price reports, send a text message to “SITA” at the following number: 067 26 02 626. “SITA” will also be available soon through the Green Market Website www.greenmarket.al 

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