Complete Farmer is using technology to solve some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture in Ghana by connecting farmers to global buyers, providing technical support and using satellite technology to improve farming decisions.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Friday, June 19, Lead Product Manager of the Complete Farmer App, Roland Owusu, said the platform was created after identifying persistent problems that continue to affect farmers across the country.

According to him, market access remains one of the biggest obstacles for growers.

"There are a couple of things that we have seen in the markets. Access to market for farmers is one," he said.

Mr Owusu explained that many farmers successfully cultivate crops but struggle to find buyers after harvest.

"We notice that once farmers go through the season and they till the land, they are able to grow their crops, but most of them go to waste. That's number one," he said.

He added that inadequate technical support also prevents many farmers from producing crops that meet international standards.

"Most of the farmers really don't have support when they are going through the season. Support like technical support from agronomy teams across the country," he said.

He said that buyers across the world demand quality produce that meets recognised grading standards.

"We expect that buyers across the globe expect a certain level of quality in these crops. So, crops are graded. We have Grade A all the way to Grade C, and international buyers expect to get high-quality crops," Mr Owusu explained.

To bridge that gap, Complete Farmer provides continuous support throughout the farming cycle.

"This is what we do. We make sure that we support the farmers to grow to meet the international demand that the international off-takers are looking for," he said.

He added that they don't charge farmers for these services.

"We do all this without taking a penny from our farmers. We make sure we also support them with agents across the country. No matter where you are based in Ghana, if you start a farm, whether you are educated or uneducated, whether your land is in hectares or in just a few small acres, we make sure we give you the support you need to grow the quality that the world demands, whether it's local buyers or international buyers," he stated.

Mr Owusu also highlighted one of the platform's latest innovations, describing it as a first for both Ghana and Africa.

"This is the first of its kind in Ghana, and the app is built in such a way that we've also integrated with international soil level analysis platforms," he said.

He explained that farmers can use the app to determine the most suitable crops for their land without carrying out traditional soil tests.

"On your phone, you can actually see what crop is even good for your land. So, you map your land. You don't have to go and test the land," he said.

"We've brought it to this very granular level that once you map your land, we are able to, from satellite level, pick the quality of the soil and be able to tell you that your land is actually good to grow this particular crop," he added.

He also spoke about the growing role of technology in modern farming, saying it allows people to manage farms without being physically present.

"Technology is in everything these days. Unlike my grandmother, who was a farmer, she has to physically go to the land every day to work. For you and me, we could be anywhere in the world and still be farming," he said.

According to him, the app enables users to appoint someone to work on their farms while they monitor activities remotely.

"Complete Farmer, the platform is made in such a way that if you mention that you're a farmer, you could just download the app, sign up and let anyone farm on your behalf whilst you're monitoring the farm and how it's going," he explained.

He said the technology also allows users to guide farm workers with real-time information.

"You can actually also give the person insight on what to do because you are getting that data first-hand, which is really, really important in farming these days," Mr Owusu said.

He said that every crop requires a different approach and that access to data helps farmers make better decisions.

"You cannot grow cashew the way you grow chilli pepper, but for farmers who don't have the tech to support how they should grow these things, they just go to the land and start farming without really having a full knowledge or data of what the land can even yield properly. So, these are some of the things that the app helps us do and technology in general," he said.

Addressing farmers, buyers and young people interested in agriculture, Owusu encouraged growers to take advantage of the platform's market opportunities.

"First of all, for the farmers, if you want market access, if you want buyers all over the world to be able to get to you and get what you are growing, the first point of contact is Complete Farmer, and Complete Farmer is an agribusiness, and we are the ones that brought this app into the market," he said.

He advised farmers to download the application through the Play Store or iOS Store by searching for CF Grower.

Mr Owusu also appealed to large agribusinesses looking for quality produce.

"For our buyers, and I mean the big companies who want to source quality crops, they could just log on to completefarmer.com and search for the buyer site, and you can source quality produce from our farmers all across the country," he said.