The Problem

Farmers want to buy fertilizer and seed to increase their production, but lack market access during the planting season when they need these agricultural inputs. Input dealers want to sell inputs, but lack access to commercially-viable rural markets. At the root of the ‘missing market’ problem is a disconnect between rural farmers and input suppliers preventing efficient agricultural input markets from forming.

Farmer Constraints

  • Timing Mismatch: Highest liquidity after harvest, but inputs needed during planting season

  • Limited Market Access: Less than 1/3 of rural farmers in Mali and Ghana buy inputs locally

  • High Transportation Costs: Distance to markets increases input costs by over 30 percent

Input Dealer Constraints

  • Scattered, Uncertain Demand: Individual farm visits not financially viable

  • Seasonal Constraints: Limited stock and distribution capacity during peak demand periods

  • High Operational Costs: Poor infrastructure makes rural access expensive and time-consuming