Blog Ground-level insights from AgriGHALA baseline survey

What next? 

Data from the field survey will help agriGHALA tailor its warehouse receipt services to better address post-harvest management, ensuring the system reflects the needs of farmers. By doing so, the WRS aims to improve smallholder farmers’ access to markets and financing, ultimately enhancing their livelihoods. 

Challenges  

Even with meticulous planning, field data collection often presents unexpected challenges. We encountered a few key hurdles during our exercise, each requiring a solution to address these issues. 

• One significant issue was limited network coverage in certain areas. To overcome this, we implemented a system allowing offline data submission and established manual synchronization protocols to ensure all collected information was eventually integrated. 
• We also recognized that some of our enumerators, while skilled, needed additional support with device handling. We addressed this by providing one-on-one guidance, ensuring everyone felt comfortable and proficient with the tools. 
• Finally, farmer availability posed a common challenge, leading to potential delays. To mitigate this, we flexibly adjusted daily targets and proactively pre-arranged interview appointments with farmers, which helped streamline the process and keep us on track. 

Looking ahead 

Capturing farmers’ needs and perspectives firsthand is essential for tailoring WRS solutions that truly serve them. This co-creation approach also raises awareness of the system’s benefits enhancing food security, improving market access, and assessing its impact on carbon footprint. An endline survey will be conducted at the close of the project to evaluate the adoption rate of the agriGHALA WRS. This will be key in documenting lessons learned and identifying best practices for future implementation.