AGRICULTURAL WEBSITE AIMED AT CONNECTING FARMERS DIRECTLY WITH CONSUMERS (AGRO-SMART)

The Agro-Smart project presents the design and implementation of a web-based agricultural platform aimed at addressing the exploitation of Nigerian farmers and consumers by eliminating the role of middlemen in the agricultural supply chain. The platform provides farmers with direct access to buyers, enabling them to list products, set prices, and manage orders, while offering consumers real-time access to fresh produce at fair prices. The system was developed using PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Bootstrap, following the Agile software development methodology to enable iterative feedback and continuous improvement. A cross-sectional survey and case study of existing agricultural platforms informed the design, ensuring alignment with the specific challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. The system architecture was modeled using use case diagrams, entity relationship diagrams, and modular coding practices to support scalability and security. Testing of the platform focused on core functionalities including user registration, product management, and transaction processing, all of which met functional requirements without critical errors. The results demonstrate that a digital platform can provide a practical solution for improving market access, enhancing transparency, and increasing profitability for farmers. The project highlights the potential for digital tools to reduce post-harvest losses, lower consumer costs, and promote food security. It concludes that with further enhancements, such as offline accessibility via USSD, multilingual support, and logistics integration, the Agro-Smart platform could scale to become a significant innovation in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.