Trade Management

The Trade module (agrios_trade) manages agricultural commerce including contracts, deliveries, volumes, and pricing. This module supports the full trade lifecycle from purchase agreements to final settlement.

Overview

The Trade module provides tools to:

  • Create and manage purchase contracts

  • Record commodity deliveries

  • Track volumes, grades, and pricing

  • Manage trade seasons

  • Generate trade reports and analytics

Contracts

Contracts represent purchase agreements between buyers and farmers or farmer groups.

Creating a Contract

  1. Navigate to Trade > Contracts

  2. Click Create

  3. Fill in contract details:

    • Reference: Contract number or reference

    • Counterparty: Farmer or farmer group

    • Commodity: Product being purchased

    • Season: Trade season this contract covers

    • Quantity: Expected volume

    • Price: Agreed price per unit

    • Terms: Payment and delivery terms

  4. Click Save

Contract Status

Contracts progress through stages:

  • Draft: Being prepared

  • Confirmed: Agreed and active

  • In Progress: Deliveries being received

  • Completed: All terms fulfilled

  • Cancelled: Contract terminated

Contract Terms

Common contract terms to record:

  • Delivery Schedule: When and where to deliver

  • Quality Standards: Accepted grades and specifications

  • Payment Terms: When and how payment occurs

  • Volume Commitments: Minimum/maximum quantities

  • Price Adjustments: Premiums or deductions

Deliveries

Deliveries record actual commodity transactions when farmers bring products.

Recording a Delivery

  1. Navigate to Trade > Deliveries

  2. Click Create

  3. Enter delivery details:

    • Date: When delivery occurred

    • Farmer: Who delivered the product

    • Contract: Associated contract (if applicable)

    • Commodity: Product delivered

    • Quantity: Amount delivered

    • Grade/Quality: Quality assessment

    • Price: Applicable price per unit

  4. Click Save

Delivery Workflow

Typical delivery process:

  1. Receive: Farmer arrives with product

  2. Weigh: Record gross and net weight

  3. Grade: Assess quality and assign grade

  4. Price: Apply appropriate pricing

  5. Document: Generate receipt

  6. Settle: Process payment

Quality and Grading

Record quality information:

  • Grade: Quality classification (A, B, C, etc.)

  • Moisture: Moisture content percentage

  • Defects: Percentage of defective product

  • Notes: Quality observations

Pricing

Price Management

Configure pricing for commodities:

  1. Navigate to Trade > Price Lists

  2. Create or update price records:

    • Commodity: Product being priced

    • Grade: Quality level

    • Season: Applicable season

    • Base Price: Standard price per unit

    • Premiums/Deductions: Quality adjustments

Price Calculations

Delivery values are calculated based on:

  • Base price for the commodity and grade

  • Quality premiums or deductions

  • Seasonal adjustments

  • Contract-specific pricing (if applicable)

Seasons

Trade seasons organize commercial activity into defined periods.

Creating a Season

  1. Navigate to Trade > Seasons

  2. Click Create

  3. Enter:

    • Name: Season identifier (e.g., “2025/2026 Main Season”)

    • Start Date: Season opening

    • End Date: Season close

    • Commodity: Primary commodity for this season

    • Status: Draft, active, or closed

  4. Click Save

Season Management

  • Only one season per commodity is typically active at a time

  • Closing a season prevents new deliveries against it

  • Historical seasons remain for reporting

Traceability

The Trade module supports traceability from delivery to source:

Plot-Level Traceability

Link deliveries to source plots:

  1. Open a delivery record

  2. In the Source section, select:

    • Plot: The plot where product was grown

    • This enables traceability to geographic origin

Farmer Traceability

All deliveries are linked to farmer records, providing:

  • Delivery history per farmer

  • Volume and value totals

  • Quality trends

Reports and Analytics

Access trade reports from Trade > Reporting:

Volume Reports

  • Delivery Summary: Total volumes by period

  • Farmer Volumes: Deliveries per farmer

  • Area Volumes: Volumes by geographic region

Financial Reports

  • Purchase Value: Total purchase amounts

  • Price Analysis: Average prices by grade and period

  • Farmer Payments: Amounts paid per farmer

Quality Reports

  • Grade Distribution: Quality breakdown

  • Quality Trends: Grade changes over time

Contract Reports

  • Contract Status: Overview of all contracts

  • Fulfillment: Delivery vs. contract quantities

Integration with Other Modules

The Trade module integrates with:

  • Farmers (agrios_farmer): Farmer profiles and contracts

  • Plots (agrios_plot): Source plot traceability

  • KoBoToolbox (agrios_kobo): Import delivery data from field apps

  • Accounting: Generate accounting entries for purchases

  • Inventory: Track commodity stock levels

Workflow Example

A complete trade workflow:

  1. Setup Season: Open a new trade season

  2. Configure Pricing: Set base prices and premiums

  3. Create Contracts: Establish agreements with farmers/groups

  4. Receive Deliveries: Record incoming product

  5. Grade and Price: Assess quality and calculate value

  6. Generate Receipts: Provide farmers with documentation

  7. Process Payments: Settle amounts owed

  8. Close Season: Finalize and report on season results

Tips and Best Practices

  • Use contracts: Formalize agreements with farmers for clear expectations

  • Record quality accurately: Consistent grading ensures fair pricing

  • Issue receipts promptly: Farmers need documentation of their deliveries

  • Track by season: Organize all activity within defined seasons

  • Enable traceability: Link deliveries to plots when possible

  • Regular reconciliation: Match deliveries against contracts regularly

  • Timely payments: Prompt payment builds farmer trust and loyalty