The verdict in three sentences
For an Ivorian cooperative of 800 to 5,000 farmers, custom management software costs 10,000,000 to 25,000,000 FCFA (roughly 15,000 to 38,000 EUR) in 2026, depending on modules and the number of plots to map. The trigger is no longer admin comfort but the traceability required by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): without GPS polygons and deforestation-free evidence, European and US buyers refuse or downgrade the cocoa. With certification premiums of around +50 FCFA/kg, a cooperative selling 2,000 tonnes pays back the investment within one or two seasons.
What EUDR changes, seen from the buyer's side
The EU regulation requires importers to prove that every lot of cocoa or coffee comes from plots not deforested after 31 December 2020. US chocolate makers apply similar due diligence through their own sustainability commitments. In practice, the exporter asks the cooperative for a geolocation file per plot (a GPS point under 4 hectares, a polygon above), linked to weighings and lots sold. An Excel sheet kept by the secretary does not survive an audit: duplicate farmers, plots without coordinates, weighings not attached to anyone.
The software must therefore link four objects: the farmer (identity, ID document, Mobile Money number), the plot (polygon, area, crop, planting date), the weighing (date, weight, quality, field officer) and the lot sold to the exporter. That chain is what a buyer pays for, far more than the screens.
| Module | Function | Indicative 2026 cost (FCFA) |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer registry | Identity, photo, ID, Wave / Orange Money | 1,500,000 - 3,000,000 |
| Plot mapping | GPS polygons, overlap checks, GeoJSON export | 2,500,000 - 6,000,000 |
| Offline field app | Data entry in the bush, sync when network returns | 2,000,000 - 5,000,000 |
| Weighing and scales | Weighing slips, quality, farmer link | 1,500,000 - 3,500,000 |
| Farmer payments | Net calculation, advances, deductions, bulk Mobile Money payout | 1,500,000 - 4,000,000 |
| Dashboard and EUDR exports | Lots, due diligence statements, buyer reports | 1,000,000 - 3,500,000 |
A cooperative of 800 farmers with a single collection area stays close to 10,000,000 FCFA (15,200 EUR). A union of 5,000 farmers with several sections and two certifications (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade) moves toward 25,000,000 FCFA (38,100 EUR).
Budget, timeline and recurring costs
The longest workstream is not development but field data collection: capturing polygons for 3,000 plots requires field officers with Android smartphones and several weeks of rounds. A typical plan runs 16 to 24 weeks.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and audit of existing data | 2-3 weeks | Data model, list of sections and field officers |
| Registry and field app development | 5-7 weeks | Tested offline Android app |
| Pilot mapping (1 section) | 2-3 weeks | 300 to 600 plots captured and checked |
| Weighing, payments, exports | 4-6 weeks | Weighing slips, bulk payments, EUDR file |
| Rollout to all sections and training | 3-5 weeks | Field officers trained, data migrated |
| Recurring item | 2026 annual order of magnitude | |
| Hosting, backups, satellite imagery | 900,000 - 2,400,000 FCFA | |
| Maintenance and enhancements | 15% to 20% of initial cost | |
| Field officer smartphones (replacement) | 90,000 - 150,000 FCFA per device | |
| Mobile Money fees on bulk payouts | 0.5% to 1% depending on operator and contract | |
| Training for new field officers | 150,000 - 400,000 FCFA per session |
Paying farmers through Wave or Orange Money sharply reduces the risk of handling cash in villages and leaves an audit trail that certification bodies and buyers can verify.
Mini case study
Mr. Kouassi chairs a cooperative of 2,400 farmers near Soubré that sells 2,000 tonnes of cocoa per season. He chooses software at 16,000,000 FCFA (24,400 EUR) plus 2,500,000 FCFA in annual fees. Thanks to complete EUDR data, the cooperative keeps its contract with a European exporter and earns a 50 FCFA/kg premium on 60% of certified volume: 1,200,000 kg x 50 = 60,000,000 FCFA (about 91,500 EUR) in premiums for the season. Even after passing 70% back to farmers, the cooperative keeps 18,000,000 FCFA, more than the initial investment in year one. It also saves about 30 person-days per month on weighing data entry.
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FAQ
Does the software work without network coverage in remote camps?
Yes, the field app records weighings and polygons offline, then syncs as soon as the officer reaches 3G or the section's Wi-Fi. Syncing 200 weighings takes less than 2 MB.
Can we reuse polygons already captured by an exporter?
Yes, if files are provided in GeoJSON or KML. Import and overlap checking usually cost 500,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA depending on data quality.
How long does it take to map 3,000 plots?
Count about 15 to 25 plots per officer per day depending on distances. With 10 officers, 3,000 plots take 3 to 4 weeks of rounds.
What do European and US buyers actually check?
They check that each lot links back to geolocated plots and that polygons do not overlap protected forest. A clean export reduces their due diligence work and makes the cooperative a preferred supplier, often with a premium of around 50 FCFA/kg.
What deposit should we plan?
The usual schedule is 40% on order, 30% on delivery of the field app and 30% at go-live, i.e. 6,400,000 FCFA upfront for a 16,000,000 FCFA project.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of farmers, sections and certifications: we will price the EUDR scope, a budget between 10 and 25 million FCFA and the mapping schedule. 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.
