Dubbed YaraConnect, it is a retailer-facing mobile application that aims to establish retailer loyalty in the smallholder farmers’ ecosystem by connecting Yara with its retailers.

The reward-based loyalty programme, is also meant to get closer with the retailers and help them boost their sales, non-retailers of the company to get opportunity to sell Yara products and be rewarded.

Speaking at the launch of YaraConnect, the Country Manager of Yara Ghana, DanquahAddo-Yobo, said the YaraConnect formed part of the digital strategy of the company.

“The world is going digital and if you don’t catch up, you will late and be far behind,” he said,

He the YaraConnect was a digital tool to connect Yara to retailers and retailers to farmers.

Mr Addo-Yobo said in line with the knowledge grows slogan of Yara, the YaraConnect was was meant to send information to farmers through the retailers.

“Farmers rely heavily on retailers for farming advice and to make input purchase decisions, such as fertilizer or pesticide brand to buy. This relationship holds the key to establishing a strong connection between Yara, retailers and farmers, “he said.

Mr Addo-Yobo further said YaraConnect sought to provide a strong connected input channel from Yara to farm, driving sustainable growth and contributing to thriving smallholder farming communities.

“The connectivity will let us have the sales going on the market and where the sales are going on,” he said

He said retailers under the loyalty programme stood to win a lot of prizes.

“Upon purchasing Yara products, retailers utilize the quick response code scanner in the application to scan a quick response code on the product packing or purchase receipts to earn YaraConnect points.  With the accumulated YaraConnect points, retailers can redeem Yara discount coupons or other attractive rewards such as motorbikes.

He said the programme was being done in collaboration with the distributors to help them increase their sales volumes.

The Managing Director of Yara advised other fertilizer retailers who were not selling Yara products to do so to be rewarded.

Mr Addo-Yobo said YaraConnect was currently available in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Digital Retail Solutions Manager of Yara Ghana, Kwame Okyere, said the YaraConnect application could be downloaded on the Google play store on any smartphone.

He said retailers could go through a simple-step registration process to register and join the programme.

MrOkyere said retailers, among others, could track their transactions on the application and update their business information.

He said farmers could locate retailers and the locations Yara products were sold.