It was Bwanika Charles’ teenage passion for agriculture that drove him to venture into growing cereal crops. “I harvested two tonnes of maize, only to fail on getting the right market given the fact that prices had drastically fluctuated,” he told Disrupt Africa. This disappointment led Charles to thoroughly research post-harvest loss control and value addition in the cereal crop space in order to provide a solution to farmers who suffered from similar challenges, and he is now founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Farm Kiosk. Launched in August 2018, the startup launched its mobile app in October 2019. The Farm Kiosk mobile app has interactive user-friendly features which allow it to profile farmers, buyers and extension workers, specifically agronomists and veterinarians, so that it can help farmers sell their produce and access specialist knowledge. The self-funded startup is earning revenues on profit margins on market linkages and quarterly subscriptions on services, and plans to move into other East African countries in future.
SOURCE: DISRUPT AFRICA