Definition
Spraying teams are groups of agricultural workers, often youth, who are hired to provide spraying services to farmers by a company or service coalition working with those farmers. Unlike many farmers, spraying teams are properly trained on correct and appropriate agrochemical use, proper equipment, and personal safety while spraying.
Lead Actors
Off-taker; Other Service Provider
Target Demographics
Smallholder Farmers; Youth
Objectives addressed
Farmer related
Improve yields:
Consistent, protocol-driven spraying services for foliar fertiliser and crop protection increase yields directly (via the fertiliser) and make farmers more resilient to pests and diseases, reducing the effect of variables that can compromise the yield at harvest time.
Increase farmer income:
Increased yields from proper foliar fertiliser and agrochemical use directly affects farmer incomes. Additionally, this service is often combined with access to market as it is typically provided by an off-taker that wants to control input use for their own procurement.
Business related
Address sourcing needs:
In higher value or premium markets (for example, exports or organics), proper agrochemical use according to relevant laws and standards is a non-negotiable need for off-takers to survive in the market. Using specially-trained spraying teams can give the off-taker the control that they need over the quality of the produce that they are sourcing.
Contexts Best Suited to
Formal and semi-formal markets: where quality control of crops may be more important
Key Risks
Loss of control for farmers: Farmers may not be content to lose control over what is being sprayed on their crop.
Misaligned incentives: If sprayers are being paid per farm sprayed, they are incentivised to do a shoddy or incomplete job so that they can complete more farms in a day.
Crop loss: In case of active crop infection or infestation, delay in spraying due to having to wait for the sprayer to come may cause crop loss or irreversible damage to the crop.
Theft: Loaning out equipment to sprayers puts the equipment at risk.
Misaligned incentives: If sprayers are being paid per farm sprayed, they are incentivised to do a shoddy or incomplete job so that they can complete more farms in a day.
Crop loss: In case of active crop infection or infestation, delay in spraying due to having to wait for the sprayer to come may cause crop loss or irreversible damage to the crop.
Theft: Loaning out equipment to sprayers puts the equipment at risk.
Environmental Impact
Ambiguous:
Sprayers hired by the company are more likely to stick to protocols, reducing the risk of agrochemical misuse or overuse. However, farmers who may have previously been unable to afford sufficient crop protection may now be spraying more due to the availability of this service.
Ambition level
Medium
Time
Sprayers will only require a few training sessions before getting started. However, the company will need to devote some FTEs to continuous recruitment, management, and training of the sprayers as well as to dealing with agrochemical and equipment management.
Investment Need
The company will require sufficient PPE and equipment for all sprayers. Additionally, decontamination showers should ideally be installed at locations where the sprayers return their equipment. In addition to fixed costs, there will be variable costs for transportation and costs associated with training. In some cases, the company may also be purchasing the agrochemicals or paying (in part or in full) for the sprayers' wages.
