In the context of soaring consumer prices for fresh produce, calls to rethink sales circuits are growing. "Prices on the shelves are reaching a record high at the same time as producers are complaining about low margins, and some are even selling at a loss. This is because of the presence of too many middlemen," says Mohamed, founder of Fila7a.
Fila7a (read filaha) is the first Moroccan online agricultural market in the form of a mobile and desktop application, and it aims to reduce the number of intermediaries in the fresh produce market, according to Mohamed.
Mohamed said: "The cost of intermediaries represents an important part of the prices of fruits and vegetables, and the presence of too many intermediaries promotes food speculation to the detriment of producers and consumers. This was intensified during the crisis related to the pandemic covid19 and still currently in a context of global inflation".
"We launched our online market service to give producers, especially small and medium-sized farmers, a valuable tool to sell their products at a fair price, increase their access to the market, and give them more negotiating power," adds Mohamed, "It also offers all parties in the commercial circuit more transparency in prices, to reduce speculation, and also to promote local production."
Fila7a was launched in April 2022 and already has more than 2100 users, who buy and sell agricultural products of different types, assures Mohamed. "So far, more than 500 listings have been published on our app, making it the first online agricultural marketplace in Morocco. We continue to promote the service to reach more producers."
"Fila7a features a marketplace divided into several categories, including fruits, vegetables, grains, livestock, machinery, and others, where sales listings appear. The app also contains a public discussion area on different topics, such as disease control, export, subsidies, and others, as well as a private messaging and assistance section. We continue to develop other services that will be unveiled soon."
These services are in demand by farmers, according to Mohamed. "Producers want alternatives to the current commercial circuits and are looking to improve their income and expand their business, reaching markets they did not have access to before. However, the transition is not spontaneous, and they need a service that proves its stability and sustainability. In this area, we stand out from the competition, and we are the first online marketplace in Morocco, and competing applications have technical problems that make the user experience frustrating."
Currently, the Fila7a application is free to use, "when we deploy new services, we will introduce a payment plan in the form of an affordable subscription, concludes Mohamed.
For more information:
Mohamed El Marzgioui
Fila7a
Tel.: +31 6 389 850 59
Email: m.elmarzgioui@fila7a.com
www.fila7a.com