iProcure, established in 2013, has its own distribution infrastructure that connects agricultural input suppliers directly to local agro-dealers using proprietary technology. By eliminating middlemen in the traditional supply chain and providing insights on supply levels and prices, iProcure ensures the availability, quality, and delivery of crucial agricultural inputs at up to 25% lower than market prices.
The startup secured a $10.2 million Series B funding round last year to support its expansion and has now launched in Tanzania through a partnership with FtMA. FtMA is a consortium of public and private institutions aiming to enhance income, strengthen smallholders' resilience, and increase commercial viability for all stakeholders in the value chain. FtMA achieves this through a network of Farmer Service Centres (FSCs), which offer access to demand-driven services such as quality inputs, advisory information, financing, storage solutions, and market connections. The partnership with iProcure will improve access to supplies and services for over 125,000 farmers in Tanzania.
As part of the collaboration, iProcure will deploy its supply-chain tracking technology and business management software solutions to enhance operational efficiency and supply traceability for 100 Tanzanian agro-dealers. The objective is to implement iProcure solutions in 100 FtMA Farmer Service Centers by November 2023.
Niraj Varia, CEO of iProcure, expressed excitement about entering the Tanzanian market alongside FtMA, stating that the partnership aligns with their vision of digitizing agriculture and improving supply chains.
Mads Lofvall, managing director of FtMA, emphasized the organization's goal of bridging the gap between service delivery and market access at the first and last mile. Digitalizing the work of Farmer Service Centres will play a crucial role in achieving this objective, and the partnership with iProcure is expected to benefit FSCs and farmers alike.