Details of Aggregation Logistics

The Logistics for Aggregation comprises several aspects, some of which are organizational, others operational, and quite a few related to monitoring for conformance and accounting activites:

a) The organization / planning of the aggregartion logistics:

1. planning of farming approaches, registration of farmers, training, etc.
2. needs analysis of storage, transportation - for crop cycle (compare to availability)
3. make detailed package of practices ( POP) that address the above issues
4. determine size, input needs and distance from markets for each participant in aggregation efforts
5. plan procurement/sorting /grading activities, who does what, and when
6. communicate location of input drop-off centers and harvest collection centers
7. communicate Logistics for linkage of collection centers to processing centre

b) the "operationalizing" of the aggregation logistics:

1. educate people / participants on the POP,
2. train extension agents on the POP
3. help deliver schedule of extension services to participants
4. deliver inputs as per schedule to the participants
5. let people involved in Procurement/sorting /grading-transport know what they have to do next week, next month, etc.
6. data collection at inputs drop-off centers
7. data collection at collection centers
8. communicate "How to Manage Wastages"

c) The monitoring / tracking / accounting of aggregation involves:

1. accrual data from field on aggregation efforts
2. developing models to study aggregation progress
3. tracking what people have done for Procurement/sorting /grading-transport

d) evaluating the efficacy of aggregation comprises:

1. wastage computation
2. estimating deterioration in quality of produce
3. comparing actuals to predictions from models, for procurement

These activities require a backbone of services / systems that facilitate knowledge sharing, participant interactions and data collection from the field.

Bindu Rama Rao

CEO, Vaudiofone Corp.

Bindu Rama Rao

Logistics for Aggregation - for Agribusiness

Agribusiness that address framing in third world countries, where small farms predominate and individual farmers do not have an "economies of scale", have attempted to provide new and innovative aggregation services. However, such attempts have not yet advanced to a mature stage, primarily due to lack of automation and appropriate infrastructure that can be leveraged.

New technology needs to be incorporated to address such needs. Mobile networks need to be created, extension services that leverage such mobile networks need to be deployed, etc. Some of the aggregation needs pertain to logistics associated with such tasks.

Specifically, new services / technology is needed to address:

a) the organization / planning of the aggregartion logistics

b) the "operationalizing" of the aggregation logistics

c) The monitoring / tracking / accounting of aggregation

d) evaluating the efficacy of aggregation

AgriFone provides such new and innovative technologies. It also provides managed / hosted services that enable deployment of such services at "zero upfront costs" to agribusiness.

Bindu Rama Rao

CEO, VaudioFone

brao@vaudiofone.com