Hello Tractor, a Nigerian agri-tech startup, has given its expansion drive beyond the shores of Nigeria a boost by securing a partnership with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA).
The partnership deal with the Technical Centre will enable Hello Tractor to connect with 5,000 smallholder farmers to mechanisation services while the tech company expands its services across Nigeria and Kenya.
This recent business strategy by Hello Tractor which is expected to grow demand for tractor services, follows the move by the company last year to partner with IBM Research to pilot a new tool for farmers.
The CTA deal comes after Hello Tractor was awarded a grant following a CTA call for proposals for ICT-enabled mechanisation in Africa, which was issued to explore and implement initiatives to support the effective use of digital technologies for agricultural transformation in Africa.
How Hello Tractor works
The company connects tractor owners to farmers through an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled digital solution that bridges the gap between manual and mechanised farming. Also, farmers get to request affordable tractor services, while providing enhanced security to tractor owners through remote asset tracking and virtual monitoring.
Purpose of the partnership
Smallholder farmers’ access to mechanisation services will increase as a result of the partnership with CTA and youth employment opportunities. It will enable Hello Tractor to expand its services across Nigeria and Kenya to connect 5,000 smallholder farmers to mechanisation services, as well as to create jobs for youth as tractor operators and booking agents.
“We are delighted to partner with Hello Tractor in expanding its innovative digital platform to reach a large number of users that will contribute not only to modernising smallholder agriculture and increasing productivity but also to attracting young people to agribusiness in Africa,” said CTA director Michael Hailu.
Meanwhile, the Jehiel Oliver, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Hello Tractor described the partnership as a needed boost to grow tractor services through the use of digital innovation.
“Through this collaboration, we will identify, train, and grow the number of youth serving as booking agents on serving farmers. This partnership will grow demand for tractor services through targeted digital initiatives aimed at better coordinating the market,” he said.
