With the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, the country is gradually heading
towards a lockdown, as markets, farmers’ marts and superstores are
gradually closing operations.
Customers’ education is high and they are conscious of health, security
and safety during this scary time, as more and more people are working
remotely, sheltering in place, and practicing social distancing.
As of Thursday, Lagos, Plateau, Imo, Ondo and Edo States have
shutdown their markets, as a preventive measure against the spread of
the disease.Despite the confusion, farmers have a responsibility to
shift with these turbulent times to keep the customers fed and generate
disposable income.
It is however, sacrosanct that farmers must by all means stay safe while
not losing income, as the current health crisis presents both
challenges and opportunities to them.
Stakeholders in the agric sector and marketing experts are advocating a
shift to online sales, which appears to be the right option, as more and
more people are working remotely and choosing to stay indoors.
The Guardian checks revealed that farmers and consumers were beginning
to embrace online transactions before Covid-19 spread into the country,
but now it’s becoming mandatory to survive at this trying period.
Founder of Menitos Farm Depot, Toluwalope Daramola, who said online
sales are the best for many Nigerians at this period, however, added
that there is need for the farmers to perfect their delivery logistics,
as it is a key factor in online sales.
Daramola said: “Menitos has been doing it before the advent of
Coronavirus, the patronage has been much better since the land borders
closure and since people are truly having to look at local alternatives,
online sales have been booming.
“But the pressure now has made us increase the number of logistics partners we have.”
To stay safe, Daramola advised farmers to develop a model that would
keep them and their customers safe, adding that there must be
collaboration with farm outlets to ensure farm produce keep moving from
the farm to the consumers without exposure to contaminants.
“I see this as an opportunity to convert hitherto skeptics to fans of
Nigerian produce. Collaboration is the key to success at this time. From
the pepper sellers and the chicken sellers, the fish sellers and snail
sellers, it’s time to network and create indigenous solutions like
Germany did during the war.”
According to the Co-founder, Farmvilla Resource Centre, Ago Amodu, Saki
East Local Government Area of Oyo State, Yinka Adesola: “Online services
will create a better ease of selling and buying of goods by farmers and
their customers. However, the majority of the food producers, the
farmers, are not literate, hence some great disadvantages.
“Yes, there are several online platforms that offer farm goods to
customers. But they are not working in partnership with farmers because
they usually act as middlemen whose interest is to cheat the farmers.
For online platforms to function well, there must be a partnership in
term of sincerity of purpose between the platform owners and farmers.”
She advised farmers to protect themselves from visitors that come to
purchase food on the farm by embracing spacing recommended by health
professionals to stay safe.
“Farmers must have a designated place on the farm for pick up by their
customers. They must have protective gears like overalls, gloves, hand
sanitizers and other safety tools at the entrance of the farm for
visitors before they could be allowed into the pick up point.
“Farmers should have the list of their customers or work with a list for direct communication and supply.”
To market their produce without in-person contact like conventional
markets, Adesola advised farmers to: “Collect the weekly food need of
the customers, send them bills of requested list through WhatsApp or
SMS, the customer makes payment online, farmer packages and labels the
food according to customer’s demand and payment, the delivery van/driver
delivers at an arranged destination based on agreement time for
customers’ pick up.
“The process is repeated every week or twice per week. This has no need
for farmers market. They only need a pick up point at strategic place.
Considering home delivery will be too cumbersome in our system though it
can be considered for customers in the same vicinity.”
Prince Wale Oyekoya, agriculturalist and consultant, sees online
marketing as the best option at this period. “Yes, I can see online
sales picking up gradually in Nigeria now, and it is reducing human
traffic in markets. Some farmers are doing it before COVID-19 and they
are doing well on it. This period will make them to improve on their
online business.
“Farmers can stay safe by practicing all the recommended safety
procedures by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Federal
Government, especially in the area of social distancing and others, but
the most important thing is to stay on their farms and supply their
goods to the distributors or agents at the farm gate, thereby reducing
personal contacts from customers or get a transporter to be distributing
for them.
“Another method that farmers can adopt at this period instead of the
usual farm markets is to adopt value chains strategy. With that
strategy, losses will be reduced. I have always been an advocate of
value chain addition before this dreaded disease broke out, but it has
been very difficult because of finances and enabling environment due to
challenges like infrastructure such as power, good roads, security and
others.
“Lack of storage facilities will be a hindrance to our survival
during this critical time, as we produce to consume and not storing for
hard times like this.”
One of the strategies listed by an Ogun State-based farmer, Jelili
Raheem, is the need for farmers to first consistently maintain their
presence online, which according to him, would immediately build
discoverability for potential customers as more people turn to the
online world to support themselves.
“Farmers should start posting to local Facebook groups to get their
farms presence and products out there. There is need to get email
marketing software set up. There is need to network with other local
farmers immediately to enjoy referrals. Most importantly, have an online
shopping experience for your customers. An online store is crucial
during this time. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to ship
products; you can fulfill orders by doing community drop-offs, home
delivery, or on-farm pickups.
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