The disbursing of a key Government agriculture grant has moved from manual processing to digital disbursement, enabling farmers to get funds in record time thanks to digital technology.

The Samoa Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity and Marketing Project (SAFPROM), which was signed in 2019 to increase the productivity and access to markets by selected producers, previously used manual physical quotes and purchase orders for farmer and fisher suppliers.

This process often took between 60 to 120 days or two to four months, causing frustration for farmers and fishers and also for the suppliers, who were often out of supply by the time the purchase order reached them.

However, Samoan-owned firm SkyEye Pacific, in a press release issued on Saturday evening, said using manual processing is now a thing of the past.

“Furthermore, some farmers and fishers were purchasing supplies not appropriate for their approved funding,” reads the SkyEye Pacific press release.

To address these challenges, the Government in 2021 issued a tender for an EVoucher platform to improve the disbursement process. The tender was awarded to SkyEye Pacific using its Maua App EVoucher platform. 

“In using the Maua app EVoucher platform, farmers and fishers are issued EVouchers of approved amounts that can only be used to order project pre-approved Products and or services from project pre-approved suppliers. 

“The farmers and fishers are able to browse over 20 Suppliers on the Maua app to place their orders from the comfort of their homes or with the assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) Matching Grant Funding team.”

SkyEye Pacific said its Maua App Evoucher Platform allows the MAF and the Ministry of Finance to perform four checks during the process – from the farmer and fishers placing orders to the disbursement of the supplies to them.

These four checks are: Automated Order Pre-check by Maua app (before the farmers and fishers can submit their orders online, the Evoucher platform performs automated checks if the products/services in the order are approved for the grant, checks for the EVoucher Balance and if the supplier is eligible); MAF MGF Team check and approve or decline (once the order has been submitted, the MAF team reviews online before Approving or Declining the order if there are concerns. If declined, the farmer or fisher can resubmit the order immediately after making the necessary adjustments); MAF approved for suppliers to fulfil order (once the MAF team approves the order, it is automatically routed to the approved suppliers to fulfil); and order ready for pick up and MAF MGF Team check supplies pick up 

(once the orders are ready for pickup, MAF will arrange with all stakeholders (Farmer/Fisher, Supplier, MAF, MOF and Audit) the date and location for disbursement of the orders so physical verification of the supplies provided for the eligible farmer/fisher is done by the MAF).

 SkyEye Pacific says since the implementation of the Evoucher platform, the disbursement of funds and supplies to farmers and fishers have now been completed within seven days and in some instances within two days compared to between 60 and 120 days previously. 

To date over SAT$5 million has been disbursed to farmers and fishers who have warmly welcomed the shift in the use of technology to cut processing time.

An estimated USD$6.45 million of the total SAFPROM funds is allocated for a Matching Grant Program (MGP). The MGP provides technical assistance and grants to support activities and investments for an estimated 700 individual subsistence and semi-commercial farmers and fishers to increase their on-farm productivity and fishers to improve the management of their fishery resources; and or enhance market linkages and or business relations for target farmers and fishers with other value chain actors.

SAFPROM is an initiative of the Samoa Government in collaboration with key donor partners the World Bank (Pacific) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).