Open 2013: Strategy to Meet Challenges

Strategy to Meet Challenges:
Farm to Market Issues

William Tiga Tita, Ph.D.

D’Amore-McKim School of Business
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115

Presented at the NCIIA Annual Conference, March 20-23, 2013, D.C.

Jola Venture • www.jolaventure.com • email: info@jolaventure.com 3/27/2013

www.jolaventure.com; w.tita@neu.edu

Ensuring great harvests

3/27/2013

• Jola Video


the Farmers
• 70% = Dependent on
Agriculture
• 65%+ small scale
farmers in Africa
• 30% of Sub-Saharan
Africa’s gross domestic
product.

Source: Facts about Agricultural Development in Africa, Bill & Melinda Gates foundation


the Problem
High Post Harvest Losses- Traditional Methods
(geographies, crops & Roof drying
growing conditions) :
Smoke drying
1. Supply Chain issues
Sunlight Exposure
2. Food Preservation
• Lack of access to electricity
• Limited technologies &
resources
• Inefficient and Ineffective
• Deleterious to health
• Denatures nutritive values

our Solution
the SolPOD:
– dehydrates food 100x faster Fast
– preserves nutrients and taste of food
– increases shelf life by 20x on average

Drying Chamber Hot air absorbs moisture from
3
Easy produce and carries it away

2 Solar Collection Area Dry, hot air expands and rises
due to natural convection.

Cool Air Intake Cool air is sucked up due to
1 the pressure difference


Evolution of the SolPOD
1st Generation
• Collapsible prototype
• Expensive 3-D printed support cap
• Center pole support
• Cumbersome produce storage racks


2nd Generation
• 3 prototypes
• Expensive 3-D printed support cap
• Center pole support
• New Stacking Storage Racks
• New Solar Collection Material
• Zippers removed
Results
• Plastic did not perform as
expected
• Assembly time needed
reduced
• Skirts need adjustable tension


3rd Generation
• 10 prototypes
• 3-D printed support cap redesigned
reducing cost by $300
• New support structure
• Several Solar Collection Materials
for optimization
• Tension adjustment added
• Removable bucket feature added
for easy load/unloading


Coolest Co-op

Co-op Video


Go to Market Strategy

• Work with farmer’s Common Initiative Groups (CIGs)

• Organize post harvest and market awareness
campaigns

• Establish packaging & distribution center

• Create On-site Research Process Translational Lab


Go to Market Model
Pre-Harvest (green arrows) Post-Harvest (blue arrows)
1. 3rd party buyer advance purchase order (PO) 5. Farmer groups provide harvest to Jola Venture
2. Jola uses this PO as collateral for credit 6. Jola venture processes and dries produce
3. Third party lender provides credit to Jola Venture 7. Jola ships dried and fresh produce to to 3rd party
4. Jola provides Technologies, ICT skills, and Farming Inputs buyer, per PO
8. Buyer pays lender directly
9. Lender pays loan difference to Jola
complement 10. Jola pays final amount to farmer groups

9 3rd Party
Farmers 4 2 Lender
(CIGs) Jola Venture
10
3 8
5 Markets
6 Processing 1 3rd Party
7 Buyer
JV
Solpod
Farm

Open 2013: Strategy to Meet Challenges

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from the nciia

More from the nciia (20)

Open 2013: Strategy to Meet Challenges