FARMERS Higher yields and income: Farmers get higher yields per hectare and increase their hectarage (where land is available) by using Micron sprayers powered by our Solar Battery Stick™ which makes their spraying practices more effective.
Cost saving and new income opportunities: Farmers save costs on batteries, candles kerosene and phone charging fees. They also generate new income opportunities e.g. by offering phone charging, lamp rental or spraying services.
Improved standard of living: Our Battery Stick™ powers farmers' household appliances (such as lighting, cell phone charging, TV, fan, music device). Access to light after sunset make children and students able to study in the evenings.
Improved health and safety: The Micron sprayers powered by our Battery Stick™ are much safer than conventional knapsack sprayers. Dangerous and noxious candles, and flammable and polluting kerosene lamps farmers rely on to lighten their home during the evening and night are now replaced by our environmentally friendly and safe solar lamps. Women empowerment: Conventional heavy knapsack sprayers are often seen as a major barrier for female farmers to participate in farming of cash crops like cotton. The Battery Stick™ compatible spraying technology is physically considerably less demanding, giving women an opportunity to earn independent income from farming.
AGRIBUSINESSES WITH SMALLHOLDER OUTGROWER SCHEMES Elimination of battery stock saves time and costs: Agribusinesses supplying Micron sprayers to their outgrower farmers no longer need to stock huge numbers of disposable batteries for farmers since the sprayers are now powered by solar energy (our Battery Stick™).
Increased productivity and yields of farmers: Higher Micron sprayers adoption and improved spraying practices result in both higher yield per hectare and increasing hectarage per farmer.
Increased operational efficiency: Mobile phone charging capacity of Battery Stick™ can provide necessary infrastructure to implement programs using mobile technology to improve operational efficiency e.g. mobile payments to farmers instead of cash payments, mobile data collection, information dissemination by SMS etc. Improved input loan recoveries: By linking farmers' agricultural input loans to our remotely lockable Battery Stick™ farmers are much more likely to repay their input loans, because they want to avoid being "switched off".
CROP PROTECTION COMPANIES Holistic solutions to smallholder farmers: Farmers are looking for solutions, not for products. Crop protection companies can bundle their crop protection products together with Micron sprayers and our Battery Stick™ to offer a powerful holistic solution to farmers, that addresses several of their needs and aspirations. Increases product sales: Offering this holistic solution to farmers can be a driver of sales for company's crop protection products.
ENVIRONMENT Several million disposable batteries saved annually: Normally, Micron's innovative sprayers are powered by disposable batteries, causing a huge consumption of disposable batteries every year. For example, one of our cotton company clients working with 230,000 smallholders supplies 2 million batteries to their contracted farmers every year. Our Battery Stick™ removes the need for using these disposable batteries by replacing them with our environmentally friendly energy solution.
90% reduced water usage: Mircon sprayers use up to 90% less water than conventional knapsack sprayers. Our new attractive way of powering the sprayers with solar incentivises many farmers to convert from knapsack sprayers to Micron's progressive spraying technology, leading to big water savings.
Less chemicals: With a more concentrate spraying, the ultra-low volume sprayer reduces the risk for chemical exposure during the spraying. It is also more effective with the Ulva+ sprayer and it is therefore possible to reduce the use of chemicals by up to 20 %.
Reduced CO2 emission: Around 600 million Africans live off-grid many of whom rely on CO2 emitting kerosene for lighting. Our solar lamps and Battery Stick™ replace dangerous and polluting kerosene lamps which smallholder farmers use as a light source every day. For every household that switches from kerosene to solar lighting approximately 220 kg of CO2 emissions can be saved per year.