Justine McIntyre
Apr 4, 2024
The launch of Niaga for Agents enables PemPem to capture fruit that is otherwise not tracked through any traceable supply chain.
PemPem now offers both Niaga for Farms and Niaga for Agents, allowing for greater amounts of palm fruit to enter the traceable supply chain.
Niaga for Farms (launched as “Niaga” in November 2022) is a trading platform that enables the traceable sale and transport of palm fruit from smallholder producers to buyers. Thanks to Niaga, massive amounts of palm fruit whose origin was previously obscured has now entered the traceable supply chain.
A significant amount of palm fruit sales continue to pass indirectly from the farmer through an agent or “middleman”, with many agents also acting as creditors to whom farmers have accumulated a debt obligation, locking them into a long-term agreement. These transactions are external to the traceable supply chain, as agents are not under obligation to declare the origin of their fruit.
Niaga for Agents encourages agents to integrate the traceable supply chain while respecting traditional practices and existing relationships between agents and smallholder farmers. When agents opt to use Niaga for Agents, their transactions become traceable, increasing the overall amount of fruit entering the traceable supply chain.
“PemPem’s mission is to maximize the amount of fruit flowing through the traceable supply chain,” notes PemPem CTO JK Metwalli, “ Rather than ignoring the reality of agents, who are culturally embedded in the supply chain, we decided to offer them an entry point for traceability within the Niaga framework.”
At the time of pick-up for transport by the agent, the Niaga for Agents app requires a photo of the fruit. The photo triggers GPS satellite geolocation which is then crossed with survey data of farm polygons, ensuring precise data on fruit origin.
While fruit transacted through the Niaga for Farms platform is 100% traceable, the agents’ transport may contain a mix of traceable and non-traceable fruit. Niaga for Agents offers agents the flexibility of accepting a percentage of non-traceable fruit, allowing for a gradual transition towards a fully traceable supply chain.
PemPem is thrilled to add Niaga for Agents to its product offering as, by including agents, the number of sellers integrated into the traceable supply chain continues to grow, bringing the palm fruit supply chain closer to its sustainability objectives.