Caterers in Ghana can source fresh vegetables and fish quickly and easily on an innovative, one-stop mobile app. The produce is grown by urban farmers using aquaponics and is loaded for sale to the Aquaponics Hub digital marketplace once harvested.
Engineer Daniel Taylor from Dent Agrisystems, and Lawrencia Kwansah, who studied aquaculture and water resource management, were spurred into action when they saw many individuals, farmers, and businesses struggling to generate an income because of the pandemic.
“We wanted to create a market where individuals, who may have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, could start small aquaponics businesses and sell their produce to local catering businesses,” says Taylor, who was formerly shortlisted for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for the Hwesomame smart soil sensor.
The Aquaponics Hub kit contains a smart sensor that monitors the water conditions and sends real-time alerts to the kit’s owner on the mobile app. The system is solar-powered, which means it is not affected by power outages and can be used in off-grid areas.
Because the fish and vegetables are grown in this controlled environment, they deliver top-quality produce and high yields. Having urban aquaponics farmers improves access to produce and eliminates delays caused by unreliable transport from farms and food spoilage.
The app can be used in urban and rural areas by individuals, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, boarding schools, and farmers.
“The Aquaponics Hub app provides a great opportunity for local businesses to support each other,” says Kwansah. “This is especially important at the moment with the uncertainty and challenges faced by so many individuals and businesses.”
Read the complete article at www.businessghana.com.