DDFN

About

Fefifo is building a digital platform (DDFN) that uses a model-led approach to standardise farming procedures and digitalise farm management processes for contract farming. Fefifo enables existing smallholder farmers and young agri-graduates in South East Asia to start commercial smallholder farms in ready-to-farm modern farm spaces called Co-farms.  These farms are like renting a pre-fitted office with managed farm services and guaranteed off-take.

DDFN is available to other contract farming businesses to help them manage and empower their farmer suppliers.  DDFN is made up of a web portal which is used by the contract farming business, and a mobile app which is used by their farmer suppliers.

Capability and features

At the core of the DDFN system is a robust crop model.  The DDFN crop models define agronomic parameters, crop cycle schedules, growing protocols, agri-input requirements, labour and other opex costs for each crop, using data to simulate how key factors interplay with each other and influence key operational outcomes, profitability and even the optimum pre-harvest loan.  The crop models then form the basis for automating and standardising crop management and growing protocols for a distributed network of farmer suppliers.  The Contract farming buyer can establish their own models or choose to adopt a crop models that Fefifo has already developed. 

DDFN, via the mobile app turns the farmer suppliers’ entire seed-to-sale process into simple-to-use digital workflows which the contracting business can monitor:

• Pre-harvest loans extended to farmer supplier funds can be reserved under their wallet which can only be used for model sanctioned expenses, automatically setting aside enough harvest revenues for the next cycle before allowing farmers to draw down their profits.
• Agri-input purchase proposals for new crop cycles are automated and parties are notified when there is a shortage.
• Model driven digitalised crop cycles ensure farmer suppliers grow according to protocols developed and prescribed by the contract business, and any deviations and abnormalities are alerted for follow up.

Finally, digital workflows across harvest picking, sorting, packing and delivery enable real-time updates for managing harvest sales as a network for and clarity on cycle harvest profitability for both the famer suppliers and contracting businesses.

Progress to date

DDFN crop models have been built for chili, rockmelon, ginger, brinjal and lettuce.  Fefifo has begun using DDFN with a small number of trial farmers in these crops.

DDFN is currently available to other contract farming businesses on a trial basis.