Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO)) partially funds the soil testing awareness campaign for soil analysis. A hundred Ivorian farmers will get their soil tested for free with the Scanner developed by SoilCares (now part of AgroCares).
Better soil fertilization leads to higher yields
The goal of this campaign is to enable Ivorian farmers to observe and understand that better soil fertilisation can lead to better yields at lower costs. SoilCares and its Ivorian partners Plantafrique and Callivoire launched the awareness campaign on soil analysis and the benefits of a fertilisation approach based on the actual soil nutrient needs earlier this year.
Reaching 100 farmers with a free soil test
As part of this campaign, 5 organizations (Agro consulting, SIDAF ETS Zacharia, Garden Lakes) allowed us to select 100 farmers who will temporarily use a plot of 1000m2 each on 10 sites in the following locations: Pacobo, Yamoussoukro, Bouaflé, Toumodi, Oume and Sassandra. At each site, 8 plots will receive soil analysis and Scanner recommended inputs. The ninth and tenth plots will be considered as control plots and growers will follow their usual strategy. Partner Callivoire provides the recommended inputs and PlantAfrique monitors the plant growth.
Maeva Gauvrit, Business Development Manager– West Africa: “This project is a great opportunity for SoilCares to raise awareness about the importance of soil fertility and sustainable fertiliser usage. SoilCares Scanner provides farmers with accurate information on soil status and soil nutrient needs within 10 minutes. With this information farmers are able to apply the right fertiliser type and quantity to improve their yield.”
The yield increase will be measured at the end of the project to demonstrate the benefits of a proper fertilizer application made possible by SoilCares Scanner.
The launching event
The official launch ceremony took place on 13th of February 2018 in Yamoussoukro on the first site where the first farmers had their soils analyzed. Check the photos from the launching event below.
