AGRA

“It isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about giving voice to those who feed our nations,” declared  Fatma Fernandes, the founder of Quincewood, as she began her presentation at the Seed Stakeholders Learning Event in Kampala.

In 2021, we profiled Quincewood, a trailblazing AgTech company from Tanzania, driven by a simple yet transformative mission: to restore dignity to farming and empower those who feed our nations. At the time, the company had just begun to redefine agricultural systems through it’s innovative platforms. Three years later, the Quincewood story has fast evolved into a beacon of growth and resilience, with its roots firmly planted in its founding idea: farmers deserve better than uncertainty – and that trust, dignity, and connection must be at the heart of every solution.

The Problem: An Agricultural Crisis of Trust

Tanzania’s farmers are the backbone of the nation, feeding millions despite facing daily challenges. These challenges often aren’t due to a lack of effort or skill but stem from an absence of trust, trust in seeds, data, insurance, and markets. In Tanzania, more and more land is being cultivated for agriculture to meet increasing food demands from a rapidly expanding population. Two-thirds of Tanzania’s population work in agriculture making it a mainstay of the economy, with small scale farmers dominating food production. Due to the high demand for seeds and pesticides, challenges arise in the purchase of seeds with some farmers unfortunately buying counterfeit or recycled seeds which they are made to believe  are the potentially higher-yielding hybrid seeds.

Counterfeit seeds, unpredictable weather, and unreliable markets create uncertainty; and uncertainty is costly: crops fail, incomes dwindle, and entire communities suffer. For Fatma and her team, solving these problems meant addressing the root cause, restoring trust.

The Solution: Bridging Technology and Trust

The eHakiki Verification System has been a central solution to the gaps they identified—a revolutionary tool that enables farmers to verify the authenticity of their seeds through a simple mobile interaction. Quincewood’s eHakiki technology is the first government-backed verification platform to be implemented nationwide and adopted by the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI). The e-verification system supplements the government’s in-person inspections to reduce fraud, improve farm productivity, increase farmer income, and strengthen trust in and sustainability of agro-input suppliers.

Quincewood’s flagship innovation, the eHakiki Verification System, provides farmers with confidence in the authenticity of seeds through a simple, user-friendly process. When farmers purchase seeds, each package comes with a unique QR code. Beneath a scratch-off foil, a voucher ID is hidden. Farmers can use their mobile phones to input this ID through the USSD code 14852#. Within moments, the system verifies whether the seeds are authentic, offering farmers immediate confirmation and ensuring they plant with confidence.

Fatma credits grants from AGRA with the support of Mastercard Foundation complemented by Quincewood’s own investment as having been critical in demonstrating the viability of the e-verification system, now five years in.

The Impact: Numbers That Speak Volumes

Quincewood has grown incredibly, reaching over 450,000 farmers who now verify their seeds through eHakiki. “These aren’t just numbers, they represent families planting with confidence, transforming their farms into sustainable enterprises” said Fatma Fernandes. Through the Wakala Digital Platform, Quincewood’s reach has expanded to include live dashboards and real-time analytics, enabling stakeholders to monitor the registration and performance of agro-dealers, SMEs, VBAs, and farmers. This integration has led to:

• Enhanced traceability of inputs, ensuring accountability from seed companies to farmers.
• Real-time decision-making for stakeholders using performance metrics and geographic data.
• Reduced counterfeit seeds in the market, boosting farmer trust and crop yields.

Quincewood’s Digital Extension Services now provide targeted advice on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), weather forecasts, pest alerts, and financial literacy. Farmers no longer navigate these challenges alone, they have a trusted partner guiding them through each season.

Quincewood’s collaboration with TOSCI (Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute) demonstrates how partnerships can drive systemic change. Together, they’ve reduced counterfeit seeds, improved traceability, and cut costs for seed companies. By leveraging digital tools, they’re also advancing Tanzania’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For Fatma, the journey isn’t over. “Real innovation isn’t about disruption; it’s about connection,” she emphasizes. Quincewood’s focus on sustainability, youth empowerment, and gender equality ensures that its impact will endure. By mentoring the next generation, integrating STEM education into agriculture, and building digital bridges between tradition and innovation, Quincewood is cultivating not just crops but a new vision for African agriculture, one rooted in trust, dignity, and boundless possibility.

As Fatma concluded in Kampala: “When young people see agriculture through the lens of technology, they don’t just see farms; they see frontiers.”