How do you sell your harvest in a remote area?

Alizetics buys sunflowerseeds from smallholder farmers in Tanzania. Sale and transport of yields is always a big challenge in the remote north of the country for poor farmers. Therefore Alizetics has created 24 buying centers that farmers can visit. These local centers make it a lot easier for farmers to sell their harvest.

In a buying center the bags are weighted and the seeds sieved to get rid of dust, little stones and other stuff. The farmers receive a fair price for their ware and the bags are temporarily stored until they get sold to oil press companies. Such a buying center is open throughout the year, to make sure that farmers can call in any time and to help building a relationship with the villagers. Alizetics is the first oilseed trading company in Tanzania that focuses on smallholders and provides services for this group, including training, market price information, and logistics.

The demand for sunflower oil is growing. Most Tanzanians cook their food in palm oil which is imported from Asia. Cooking foods in sunflower oil is healthier, more environmentally friendly and it can be cultivated locally. Furthermore, this crop offers extra potential now that cotton, a crop that was popular up until recently, is no longer yielding much profit. Sunflower seeds can well fill the gap, also because it requires little work. It doesn't need much water, nor chemical fertilizer.

Would you like to read more on Alizetics? Take a look at the Alizetics website for more information.