I will rather share a few experiences in implementing an e-commerce project in Ghana. Implementation results are often needed in formulating or revising guides, policies and plans.

An e-commerce/agricultural information centre was established in Koforidua, Ghana against the backdrop of lack of transparency in marketing, cheating by middlemen, limited knowledge of markets beyond national borders and emerging mobile telephony.

What went well:

• many farmers and traders got registered on the platform
• some took offers and had markets even in neighbouring West African countries
• centre also served as venue for training farmers and traders
• Esoko platform offered additional opportunity for accessing prices on mobile phones

What did not work:

• internet connectivity was poor then in 2004
• offers received were too big for smallholder farmers and petty traders

Lessons learned:

• low level of computer literacy among beneficiaries. As system was mostly web-based, beneficiaries had to rely on extension officers, whose numbers keep on reducing
• centre became less patronized as time went on due to technological changes
• there should be strategies and plans towards sustainability of the process even under changing circumstances
• action plans in e-agriculture guides should include activities such as farmer-based organizations development, creation of markets and productivity increases even if such activities do not require electronic means