The verdict in three sentences
For a union of 6,000 cotton and sesame farmers, paper registers are costly in weighing errors, late payments and premiums lost with buyers. An offline collection app at 9,000,000-16,000,000 FCFA excluding VAT records every weighing, every geolocated plot and every payment, then produces the traceability evidence European buyers ask for. Season closing drops from 3 weeks to 3 days, and weighing and premium gains repay the project in the first season.
Why traceability becomes unavoidable in 2026
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires plot geolocation and due diligence for cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, rubber, wood and cattle. Cotton and sesame are not on that list today, but European importers increasingly write the same requirements into their contracts, and organic (EU Regulation 2018/848) and fair trade schemes already demand a proven link between lot and farmer.
| Buyer requirement | With paper registers | With the app |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer list with identity | notebooks per group | single database, photo, ID, phone |
| Plot GPS coordinates | rarely available | polygon recorded in the field |
| Exported lot ↔ farmers link | rebuilt by hand | automatic, by lot code |
| Proof of farmer payments | scattered paper receipts | Orange Money and Moov Money history |
| Organic or fair trade audit | 2 to 4 weeks of preparation | export in minutes |
| Negotiable traceability premium | hard to obtain | 15-40 FCFA/kg, 2026 order of magnitude |
What the app does, from field to warehouse
Collection agents work in villages without stable network. The app runs on Android tablets or smartphones, offline, and syncs on return to a covered area or the union headquarters.
| Module | Function | Budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer registration | identity, group, geolocated plots | 1,500,000-2,500,000 FCFA |
| Weighing at collection point | Bluetooth scale or controlled entry, printed ticket | 2,000,000-3,500,000 FCFA |
| Quality and grading | moisture, impurities, grade | 1,000,000-1,800,000 FCFA |
| Per-farmer payment | net after advances and inputs, mobile payment | 2,000,000-3,500,000 FCFA |
| Lot traceability | from bag to truck, QR codes | 1,500,000-2,700,000 FCFA |
| Union dashboard | volumes per group, season closing | 1,000,000-2,000,000 FCFA |
| Total | 9,000,000-16,000,000 FCFA |
Also budget: 40 rugged tablets at 150,000-250,000 FCFA, connected scales at 250,000-450,000 FCFA per collection point, and 1,500,000-2,500,000 FCFA a year for hosting and maintenance.
Mini case study
Mr Ouédraogo, director of a cooperative union near Ouagadougou, collects about 9,000 tonnes per season from 6,000 farmers, worth close to 4 billion FCFA. Weighing and transcription errors, estimated at 1% of volume, therefore weigh 40,000,000 FCFA a year; the app removes at least half, or 20,000,000 FCFA. On 3,000 tonnes of sesame sold with a 25 FCFA/kg traceability premium, the union earns 75,000,000 FCFA. Closing in 3 days instead of 3 weeks also frees 5 staff for 18 days. Against a total of 13,000,000 FCFA for the app and 8,000,000 FCFA of hardware, the project pays back in the first season, on an estimate to validate with your buyers.
FAQ
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Does the app work without internet in rural areas?
Yes, all weighings, photos and GPS records are stored on the device. Sync happens as soon as 3G or Wi-Fi is available, and a tablet holds a week of collection without syncing.
Can farmers be paid by mobile money?
Yes, the app computes each farmer's net after advances and inputs, then prepares a bulk Orange Money or Moov Money payment. Bulk payment fees are typically negotiated at 0.5 to 1% of the amount.
How do we map 6,000 farmers' plots?
Agents walk the plot boundary with the tablet GPS, which takes 10 to 20 minutes per plot. A team of 20 agents covers the union in one dry season.
How long to be ready before the season?
Allow 3 to 4 months: scoping, development, 2-day agent training, then a pilot on 2 groups before collection starts.
Does the data remain the union's property?
Yes, the database belongs to the union and can be hosted in Burkina Faso or in a cloud of your choice. The contract provides for handover of code and data at any time.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of farmers, collection points and buyer requirements: we price a collection and traceability app between 9 and 16 million FCFA, ready in 3 to 4 months before your season. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
