GES-TAP Reached Half
Million in 2014
More than 500,000 farmers registered for subsidized
fertilizer and seeds through IFDC’s Growth
Enhancement Support (GES) Touch and Pay (TAP) pilot
program, ending in 2014. TAP technology simplified
the process of enrollment and redemption in the GES
scheme, a comprehensive initiative of the Nigerian
government to boost the nation’s agriculture sector.
Designed by Consult Hyperion, TAP works with devices
powered by the Android operating system and does not
require a network connection. Farmers and enrollment
staff “tap” their registration cards to store information
on the device. The program brought 100 agro-dealers
closer to farmers and employed 500 new GES field
staff in 2014. TAP was funded by the United Kingdom
Department for International Development (DFID).
IFDC Contributes to Policy Efforts in Ghana
In February, IFDC, with a team of experts from Michigan State University, the International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP)
and the Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutions, Zambia (ReNAPRI),
undertook an extensive study in Ghana to provide information that will guide the government
of Ghana on its soil fertility and subsidy policy.
WAFP Holds
Consultative Forums
The USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program
(WAFP) organized two Wes