Become a Member

Nigerian farmer harvesting tomatoes at golden hour

Osun State's first tomato and pepper farmers cooperative

A Cooperative Owned By The Farmers Who Grow the Produce.

Empowering tomato and pepper farmers with guaranteed market access and shared prosperity.

Become a Founding Member → See How It Works

✦ One member, one vote ✦ Registered under Osun State cooperative law ✦ Tomato & pepper growers, Osun State Nigeria

1ST

Tomato and Pepper farmer cooperative in Osun State

-60% returned
-1:1 vote

45-50%

Regional post-harvest loss VersCoop exists to prevent

30-50%

Better farm-gate pricing for graded, cold-stored produce

21 Days

Extra shelf life in solar-powered cold storage

Why VersCoop

Farming Well Shouldn't Mean Earning Little

Across Osun State, smallholder tomato and pepper farmers grow crops that feed cities — yet capture only a fraction of what those crops are worth. Fragmented markets, unreliable buyers, and post-harvest losses that run as high as 45–50% regionally quietly erode income long before it reaches the market.

VersCoop exists to change that — not by inserting another middleman, but by giving farmers collective ownership of the infrastructure and relationships built to serve them. Members pool their harvest, their bargaining power, and their voice into one organisation: shared collection points, shared cold storage, and shared market access that no single smallholder could build alone. As a cooperative society, VersCoop is owned and governed entirely by its farmer-members.

Farmer Ownership

Every member holds an equal vote, regardless of farm size.

Transparency

Open books and clear, regular reporting to every member.

Shared Prosperity

Surplus is shared accordingly to members.

Professional Management

VersDirect handles logistics, so farmers can focus on farming.

"To organize smallholder tomato and pepper farmers into a self-governing, professionally managed cooperative that captures more value at the farm gate — and returns it to members."

Our Mission

Freshly harvested tomatoes in a raffia basket — Tomatoes

Freshly harvested peppers held by a farmer — Peppers

Crates loaded at a cooperative collection point — Collection & Logistics

Membership

🏪

Guaranteed Buyer

Your produce has a confirmed destination. VersCoop collects directly from your farm gate and connects it with verified buyers — no more waiting on middlemen.

❄️

Cold Storage Access

Solar-powered cold rooms hold your tomatoes and peppers fresh for up to 21 days — you choose when to sell, not when spoilage forces you.

Solar powered cold storage room with crates

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Better Pricing

Graded, packaged, and cold-stored produce commands 30–50% more than typical open-market farm-gate prices.

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Farmer Field School Training

Hands-on agronomy and post-harvest training delivered through VersGrow, using the proven Farmer Field School method.

🗳️

Annual Profit Share & a Real Vote

60% of surplus is paid back to members every year. One member, one vote — leadership answers to members, not outside investors.

Farmers gathered together at golden hour

📱

Works On Any Phone

VersTrace, our digital record-keeping tool, runs over 2G and plain SMS — no smartphone, no data plan, and no farmer left out.

Farmer using a basic feature phone in a field

The Cooperative Experience

From Your Farm Gate To The Market, Together

Step 1

Join

Become a farmer-member of the cooperative.

Step 2

Harvest

Grow and harvest tomatoes and peppers on your own farm.

Step 3

Collection

VersCoop collects directly from your farm gate.

Step 4

Cold Storage

Produce is graded and held fresh in solar-powered cold rooms.

Step 5

Market Access

Verified buyers in Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo and beyond.

Step 6

Profit Distribution

60% of surplus returns to members every year.

Governance

Farmer-Owned. Farmer-Run.

VersCoop is owned and governed entirely by its farmer-members. Members elect a governing board from among themselves. The Board sets direction and oversees the operations of the cooperative operations.

👥

Own & Vote

Farmer-Members

Founding cohort of 50, growing from there

↓

🏛️

Elected

Governing Board

Chosen by and from the members

↓

📦

Shared

Aggregation & Market Access

Collection points, grading, and buyer relationships run for the whole cooperative

↓

🚚

Off-take

Market Buyers

VerDirect provides buyers connections locally and for export

Where the Surplus Goes

Every Naira of Surplus Has a Job to Do

60%

Patronage Dividend

60%Patronage Dividend
Paid directly to members, in proportion to their trade with the cooperative.
25%Cooperative Development Fund
Reinvested in shared infrastructure and the cooperative's growth.
10%Working Capital Reserve
Keeps the cooperative financially resilient between seasons.
5%Education Fund
Funds ongoing member training delivered through VersGrow.

Our Programmes

Farmer Field School training under a tree

Training Programme

VersGrow

The problem

Most tomato and pepper farmers in Osun State have never received formal training in good agronomic practice, pest control, harvest timing, or quality grading. Knowledge that could cut losses and unlock better prices rarely reaches the farmers who need it most — leaving good farmers unable to meet the standard a serious buyer expects.

What VersGrow does

Hands-on Farmer Field School training in good agricultural practice, post-harvest handling, pest management, and packaging — delivered in Yoruba and English by qualified agronomists, farmer to farmer, season after season.

Yoruba & English delivery
Qualified agronomists
Season after season

Join and take part ↗

Farmer recording a delivery on a basic phone

Digital Platform

VersTrace

The problem

Without any record of what was planted, how it was grown, or where it went, a member has no way to prove their produce meets a buyer's standard, and no track record to show a lender. Good work goes unrecognised simply because nothing was ever written down.

What VersTrace does

A simple digital record of every member's production, inputs, and deliveries — built to work over 2G and plain SMS, so no farmer is left out for lack of a smartphone or data plan.

Works on 2G & SMS
Production & delivery records
Proof for buyers and lenders

Join and take part ↗

Where We're Headed

Built Step by Step

2025

The idea takes shape

A direct-to-buyer harvest in Osun State proves the case: farmers with a confirmed destination for their produce lose almost nothing to spoilage. The plan for a farmer-owned cooperative begins to take shape.

2026

VersCoop opens founding membership

Cooperative registered under Osun State cooperative law with founding farmer-members and the launch of VersGrow and VersTrace.

Beyond

Growing the cooperative

Expanding membership and shared infrastructure, with a stronger farm-gate price for every member along the way.

People

🗳️

Mr. Elisha Akinremi

President

Francis Olaleke

Secretary

🗳️

Mrs. Motunrayo Oketola

Treasurer

VersDirect

Management Services Provider ↗

Nigerian farming community at golden hour

Join Us

Become a Founding Member

Founding members shape VersCoop from day one — its governance, its priorities, and its culture. Membership is opening in phases through 2026, with a target of 50 founding farmer-members.

1
Express Interest
Send your details using the form, or reach out by email.
2
Meet the Team
Join an introductory meeting in your area.
3
Complete Registration
Finalize your membership agreement.
4
Join the Founding Cohort
Become one of VersCoop's first farmer-members.

Get in Touch

Visit or Write to Us

📍

Location

VersCoop Cooperative Society
Plot 4, Block A, Kojufoluwa Estate, Lagada Area, Osogbo, Osun State

📞

Call or WhatsApp

Francis Olaleke, Secretary
+234 903 454 5199

✉️

Email

info@verscoop.com

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