Applications are now open for the 2021 edition of Land Accelerator, a program that supports efforts to restore degraded forests, farmlands and pastures. Applications for the training workshop, dedicated to entrepreneurs and leaders working in the agricultural sector, are now open until March 31, 2021.
Land Accelerator
Here Is What You Need To Know
The training will take place between April and July of this year through virtual meetings and training sessions. Mentoring and coaching sessions will also take place remotely.
This program provides candidates with mentoring and networking opportunities, technical training and workshops to develop their skills. Indeed, several initiatives in different areas are included, including smart agriculture, sustainable forestry, reforestation, non-timber forest products, agroforestry, creation of organic fertilizers, pesticides and other soil amendments. of natural origin.
As for the successful candidates of the said training, they will benefit from a period of three months of exclusive weekly training sessions led by experts. Startups, on the other hand, have three months of access to Fledge’s online courses. Also, Land Accelerator plans to give participants skills on models to create content to help them thrive, and weekly networking sessions.
They will also receive skills to explore new ways of maximizing their business models in order to increase their clientele, their revenues and their environmental impact. In addition, they will have the opportunity to apply for a Land Accelerator Investment Pack which a group of experts will award to the top ten entrepreneurs.
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
There is a new level of attraction for farming within the young demographics in Africa, unlike what obtains before now. Despite farming being a fundamental part of society, training and education on sustainable agriculture in school curriculums is neglected and underfunded at government level. In this interview, James Konde, Head of Farmer Training and App Development at the Haller Foundation in Mombasa, Kenya outlines what needs to be done. Excerpts.
James Konde, Head of Farmer Training and App Development at the Haller Foundation
The Haller Foundation is a UK registered charity and Kenyan NGO that was set up to educate rural farmers. How is the foundation tackling the youth’s lack of interest in agriculture?
It’s very true and unfortunate that the young energetic youths whom we perceive to be the future of the nation are now the ones who are taking very negative stands towards farming. Despite this challenge, we at Haller have a different approach of trying to discard that and we believe in “Think Big Start Small”.
So we have for the last three years been involving youths and children of ages 12- 20 in farming activities (youth farming project) at our demonstration farm aimed at building their enthusiasm and mentoring them in different career paths that are linked to agriculture as a profession. Great impact has been achieved as during inception they were looking at farming as dirty and for low-class persons but now they are even able to carry vegetables home and do kitchen gardens in schools and at home without being forced.
We look forward to building this network among the youth, especially involving ones from very rural marginalized populations and share the same with a larger audience across the globe. Hoping this will bring revolution to the mindset of the youths towards agriculture.
The Haller Foundation recently launched a newly redesigned version of its award-winning app, Haller Farmers, to help African farmers improve their agricultural productivity. What kind of information is available through the app?
Through the Haller Farmers app, we are able to help African Farmers improve their agricultural productivity by availing to them well packaged and simplified information such as growing of local indigenous vegetables, native to their area, simple ways of identifying and controlling pests, easy and affordable solutions to soil nutrition, water management and erosion control as well as many new ideas of improving their livelihoods through use of waste and readily available materials within their surroundings. All of the techniques are environmentally friendly and available for free.
How is the redesigned app able to cater to the needs of farmers?
The newly released version of the Haller Farmers App is able to cater to the needs of the farmers by offering them quick solutions to their questions like; What? Where? Why? and How? in different aspects ranging from growing a variety of crops, food, fruits and vegetables as well as the rearing of livestock not forgetting marketing and sales within the same platform.
This means there is increased contact between the farmer and experts and farmer to farmer through the notice board on time. With limited access to technology in the rural areas of Africa, the new version allows users to download specific agricultural content for offline use.
What is the main challenge when it comes to the dissemination of the Haller Farmers app?
The main challenge at the moment is the availability of android smartphones especially to the very grass root farmer who lives on less than a dollar per day and this farmer apparently seems to be our ultimate audience.
However we have seen mobile companies and service providers coming up with lending strategies to enable the penetration of smartphones to very small scale farmers and so far they are working out to ensure more people own smartphones – still, the challenge remains and we ask ourselves How and When will we achieve the transition.
Use of the Haller Farmers app is highly dependent on increased penetration of mobile technology across the continent as well as access to a source of renewable power. How have sustainable partnerships with companies like Mara Phones and Deciwatt unlocked the potential of smallholder farmers?
Mara Phones and Deciwatt partnered with us to make some farmers realize some of the dreams. For the past few months, there has been a big impact among the group of ambassadors whom we are doing a test run with and we see more farmers being attracted to work closely with such progressive companies.
The phones help them train others on the Haller Farmers app and the lights are able to recharge the phones; more importantly provide a clean, healthy and cheap source of light for children to do their homework after school.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
The focus that agriculture currently enjoys is a golden opportunity for science and skills transfer to position Africa as the solution to the food security conundrum. Ever since he took office in February this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed agriculture firmly on his agenda. The obvious and loudest aspect has been and continues to be, land reform and how expropriation without compensation will play out in practice.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa
But of equal importance, at least from where I stand as a professional and businessman in the agricultural sector, are his utterances, actions and policy decisions related to the sector.
In just the past two months, agriculture featured at three of the most high-profile events in South Africa. In September, with the announcement of the economic stimulus package, agriculture was singled out as a priority area. The president said that investment would be channeled to black commercial farmers to increase their entry into food value chains through access to infrastructures such as abattoirs and feedlots.“The agricultural sector has massive potential for job creation in the immediate and long term,” he said.
This view was reiterated at both the Jobs Summit and the Investment Conference that took place in October. At the latter president Ramaphosa said that land reform was needed not only to redress a historical injustice but also to effectively unlock the economic potential of the country’s land.And this brings me to an issue close to my heart: the role Africa can and should play in global food security.In 2013, the world’s human population breached the seven billion mark; we are told that by 2050 there will be nine billion mouths to feed – and a quarter of them will live in Africa.We have a mere 32 years in which to double food production in general, and protein (mainly meat) in particular.
Faced with this immovable target, food security and food production have been major scientific and political topics of discussion and debate for some time now.The land available for food production is finite, therefore the only possible solutions are to increase production on land that is currently underused, and to employ science and technology to improve the efficiency and productivity of farming enterprises.In both these solutions, Africa takes centre stage.
Africa is the only continent suited to commercial agriculture with underutilised land. Neither Europe nor North America has “spare” land available. It is therefore up to us to do more with what we have.When it comes to exploring science and technology in the interest of increased productivity and yield, farmers in the developed world are already using precision farming and similar advances.In fact, the introduction of advanced genetics, feeding systems, animal health controls and other technologies over the past four decades, has allowed industrialised countries to reduce their overall land requirement for livestock by 20 percent while doubling meat production.
Only in Africa is there room for a massive increase in the difference science can make to production.What this means for us here at the southern tip of Africa is opportunity: opportunity to contribute to food security and the resultant financial security of millions of families on the African continent..While it is unwise to place all one’s faith in one person, I do believe that President Ramaphosa is the right leader at the right time to position South Africa to capitalise on this opportunity.
For the first time we have a head of state who understands agriculture, and the livestock and game industries. More than that, he appreciates what he calls in his book, Cattle of the Ages, the “miracle of science”, ie, the contribution veterinary science is making and can make to the future of the country.
It is incumbent on us as players in the animal health industry to strengthen the president’s hands by bringing our science A-game to the table. In addition, we must invest in real and meaningful skills- and knowledge-transfer that will put our continent’s millions of small-scale farmers in charge of their own destinies and position them as a cornerstone of the global food security project.
At Afrivet we are seeing the impact that this combined approach can make. Our animal health products are proven and trusted – we know the science works and we continue to develop remedies for Africa’s specific needs.Through our BBBEE subsidiary, Afrivet Training Services, we entered into a joint venture with the Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria in 2010 to sponsor the world’s first chair in Primary Animal Health Care. The joint venture has already produced a comprehensive (and ever growing) body of knowledge for students, veterinary professionals, commercial farmers and emerging stock owners alike.
It is also involved in community-based outreach and skills transfer programmes that empower communal stock owners to view and manage their herds as stores of commercial value.We call on our industry partners and peers to heed President Ramaphosa’s “thuma mina” (send me) call, and add our own to it: “mazene’thole” (may your cow calve).
Together we can turn Africa’s agricultural potential into production.
Dr Peter Oberem is the founder and chief executive of Afrivet.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Young people from around the world have been urged to embrace Agriculture both as a hobby and as a future profession. This was known yesterday as young students from across the world gathered at Des Moines Iowa United States at the Global Youth Institute to interact with Nobel and World Food Prize laureates. This year, 450 exceptional high school students from 10 countries attended the three-day Global Youth Institute hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation to facilitate discussion on pressing food security and agricultural issues.
2002 World Food Prize Laureate, Pedro Sanchez
The director of youth leadership development at the World Food Prize Foundation, Kelsey Tyrrell, told the young audience that African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina had been invited because of his advocacy and promotion of agriculture as a career for young people.
“After winning the World Food Prize in 2017, he dedicated his prize money to youth empowerment programmes. We wanted you to know that you have the power to make global change, and Adesina knows the incredible power that young people have,” Kelsey said. The African Development Bank is committed to ensuring that Africa’s agriculture is digitally enabled and has launched the Digital Solutions for African Agriculture program, which supports governments and the private sector.
Digital Solutions for African Agriculture program supports the public and private sector to introduce and scale-up transformative digital solutions. This includes super platforms for e-registries, e-extension, soil information maps, e-commerce and digital marketplaces for agri-inputs and outputs, tracking and traceability systems, and e-Agri-governance.
The Bank is implementing programs that harness the power of technology to drive the future of agriculture, such as using drones to survey fields and monitor harvests.
“Building the food industry of tomorrow requires that we build the leaders of those industries today. The opportunities offered by the Global Youth Institute are intended to construct for you the highway to becoming tomorrow’s leaders of the food and agriculture industry,” the Bank President told the students. Adesina is the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. “Digitisation will attract more young people like you into agriculture. Agriculture is really where you want to be,” he said.
Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo attended the morning session. On Wednesday night, Adesina hosted a dinner in honour of the President of the World Food Prize Foundation, Kenneth Quinn, who is retiring from the organization. Quinn described the Bank’s work as transformative.
Also speaking at the dinner, the 2002 World Food Prize Laureate, Pedro Sanchez, commended the Bank for its work in agriculture, comparing it to that of Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1970 and founder of the World Food Prize.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.
If Africa will achieve self sufficiency in food production, it must first lay the groundwork for sustainable fertilizer financing across the regions of the continent. This was the takeaway as key stakeholders in West Africa’s fertilizer sector call for more action to support the industry, which is central to the continent’s agricultural revolution. The call came out of the first West Africa Fertilizer Financing Forum, organized by the African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism and partners, and held Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire from September 30th to October 1st, 2019.
The Head of Coverage Trade & Agriculture and Food at Société Générale in Côte d’Ivoire Augustin N’dri
The forum which closed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the West Africa Fertilizer Association and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) aims to strengthen the fertilizer value chain in West Africa and set the scene for the implementation of the regional agenda on sustainable agriculture.Speaking on the development, the coordinator of the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism, Marie Claire Kalihangabo said that after intense days of discussions on concrete solutions,” it is now time for us to follow up and make sure that what was said here becomes a reality”.
Fertilizer is cited as one of the key components in the 2006 Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution. At the time, Africa’s fertilizer use averaged only 8 kilograms per hectare, or 10% of the world’s average, leading to low productivity. Financing remains one of the missing links for a robust agricultural value chain in West Africa, participants said. They also pointed out that fertilizer suppliers and distributors are facing several challenges when it comes to accessing financing through commercial banks and other financial institutions. The challenges include limited working capital, a low equity base and lack of trust.
Major regional commercial banks attending the meeting expressed their interest in risk-sharing facilities and said stronger collaboration with fertilizer suppliers is needed to facilitate bank access to relevant financial information. Bank representatives also suggested increased working relationships with small and medium fertilizer suppliers and distributors from the West Africa Fertilizer Association in order to boost trade credit with guarantees from the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism.
The Head of Coverage Trade & Agriculture and Food at Société Générale in Côte d’Ivoire Augustin N’dri said that most of the commercial banks offer products that can meet the needs of small and medium size enterprises of the fertilizer sector. However, lack of available information limits their access to…available financing resources. High-level African Development Bank representatives engaged with fertilizer stakeholders and reaffirmed support for the development of agriculture in the region.
“I reassure you that the African Development Bank is deploying de-risking financial instruments, including partial risk guarantees and partial credit guarantees, to leverage financing and cover for private lenders/investors,” said Martin Fregene, the Bank’s director of agriculture and agro-industry.
“We can now say that conditions are…in place to achieve our common ambitions to foster the future of fertilizers in our region. I am convinced that large companies as well as small and medium-sized companies in the fertilizer industry will be able to implement the conclusions of this forum to expand their activities and thus develop West Africa’s fertilizer industry,” said Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The first West Africa Fertilizer Financing Forum was a joint initiative of the African Development Bank’s African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism and the West Africa Fertilizer Association. The forum brought together representatives from the Bank’s regional member countries, commercial banks, development finance institutions and the fertilizer private sector.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.
As the negative effects of climate change hits closer home, the need for farmers to engage in responsible farming becomes more imperative, to this end Nestlé has launched a project aimed at helping Coffee growers across Africa, and most especially in West Africa to imbibe more responsible farming processes that promote sustainability and also protect the soil from depletion and erosion. This project according to company sources is aimed at impacting the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in the region to help them make more for themselves and their families and also their communities.
Head of Agricultural Services, Nestlé Central and West Africa, Fatih Ermis
In recognition of its efforts at preserving the environment and promoting sustainability, the NESCAFÉ factory in Cote d’Ivoire has for the third consecutive time this year, won the Eco-Citizen prize at the National Excellence Awards in the country. The factory was equally recognized for releasing only purified water into the environment and for none of its waste ending up in landfills. With our communities at heart, our coffee business upholds Nestlé’s worldwide commitment to protecting and safeguarding the environment and resources.
NESCAFÉ business which forms part of Nestlé’s NESCAFÉ Global Plan is committed to sourcing coffee beans for Nestlé responsibly, through sustainability programs. Under the Plan, Nestlé teaches coffee farmers how to grow coffee in a way that protects the environment. Nestlé has also reached over 13,000 farmers across the region, through Agripreneurship programs.
In addition to the earnings farmers make for their produce, they receive premium payments from Nestlé. Speaking on this initiative, Head of Agricultural Services, Nestlé Central and West Africa, Fatih Ermis highlights how impactful this is to farmers, “This premium allows farmers to have better livelihoods by earning additional income. Last year, Nestlé paid more than $865,000 in premiums to coffee farmers across the region. We are continuing in this vein this year, with a little over $841,000 paid to our coffee farmers, from January 2019 to date.” The company also said that because of the business relationship it has developed with the farmers, the NESCAFÉ consumed in Central and West Africa region is indigenous to the region as it sources over 15,000MT of coffee from Cote d’Ivoire.
Moreso, the company has launched a project that is committed to creating jobs and enabling entrepreneurship. Under the initiative named “My Own Business” (MyOwBu), Nestlé teaches young people how to manage their own micro-enterprise. The company also gives them training on sales, management, hygiene, safety and quality standards. This has a domino effect because these youth, now equipped with skills are encouraged to and often employ up to 10 other street vendors.
The Business Executive Officer of Nestlé Professional, an out-of-home service of Nestlé said that over 4,000 youth across the region have benefitted from this entrepreneurial opportunity. With this financial empowerment, they are on the right path to financial independence. “My proudest moments on the job are when I see how the lives of these vendors are transformed for the better” she said.
Critics however scoff at the above claims not because they are false but because the company is giving back just a very infinitesimal part of its profits from same farmers back in the name of community social responsibility. They opine that the best thing for Africa is to develop processing capabilities within the continent so that Africans can make real gain from their sweats instead of continuing enriching European transnationals who give crumbs in the name of ploughing back profits.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.
The best time to do agriculture in Africa is probably now. African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), has secured $500 million for young ‘Agripreneurs’ across the continent to develop agriculture opportunities on the continent.
Here Is All You Need To Know
AGRF is the first ever forum for African agriculture, pulling together stakeholders across the agricultural landscape to discuss and commit to programs, investments and policies to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent.
The funding was raised from firms such as Dangote Farms, Press Agriculture, Pearl Dairies Ltd, and Fresh Ltd. In addition, a Unilever-IDH partnership committed $28.6 millions towards investments in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) working in variety of food-related endeavors.
Some 17 country delegations presented investment opportunities worth in excess of $2 billion.
The proposed investments, coupled with support from various stakeholders, is anticipated to impact more than 15,000 smallholder farmers and create seven million jobs.
Mastercard Foundation announced plans to invest $500 million to launch a new Young Africa Works program. The initiative will provide a major infusion of capital to support the efforts of a new generation of young “agripreneurs” who are investing their talent in farming and other agriculture-oriented ventures.
The forum also set up a “Deal Room” that delivered some $200 million in new investments to support digital infrastructure crucial for powering innovative farmer services, significant actions on climate change adaptation, and the launch of a major food trade coalition.
The Agribusiness Deal Room at the AGRF was made possible with the support of core design partners, including the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), AGRA, the African Development Bank (AfDB), CrossBoundary, GAIN, GrowAfrica, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The Deal Room also received advisory support from the World Economic Forum (WEF).
“The potential benefits of the AGRF to the African continent are beyond contention,” said Ghana President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. “We must galvanize our collective resources and energy to fully exploit the opportunities it presents.”
The Agribusiness Deal Room saw private and public sector stakeholders commit over $200 million to develop and strengthen several value chains in Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda and Eswatini.
Embracing the Potential of Digital Innovations for African Agriculture
The theme of this year’s AGRF was “Grow Digital: Leveraging Digital Transformation to Drive Sustainable Food Systems in Africa.” AGRF 2019 featured a rigorous and informative series of technical assessments, policy analyses, and political discussions that produced a new level of consensus that could dramatically accelerate efforts to use digital innovations to make farming in Africa more productive, profitable, sustainable and inclusive.
The discussions were anchored by the presentation of the Digitalisation of African Agriculture report from the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and Dalberg Advisors. Its key findings include the fact that some 71 percent of users of digital agriculture or D4Ag services across the continent are under 35. The CTA report found more than 90 percent of the market for digital services that support African smallholders remains untapped and could be worth more than $2.26 billion. The study also found nearly 400 different digital agriculture solutions are currently in play, serving 33 million registered farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.
The report estimates the number of registered farmers and the number of digital solutions are growing so rapidly that they are likely to reach the majority of the region’s farmers by 2030.
“Digitalisation can be a game-changer in modernising and transforming Africa’s agriculture, attracting young people to farming and allowing farmers to optimise production while also making them more resilient to climate change”, said Michael Hailu, Director of CTA.
There was much discussion at AGRF 2019 about the need for investments in the basic infrastructure and data systems that will provide the critical foundation for D4Ag services. To that end, there was news at AGRF that the World Bank plans to invest US $50 billion in Transforming Africa’s Digital Economy.
The Bank is committed to ensuring every African, including every African business and government, is digitally enabled by 2030. The investments include support for broadband infrastructure; digital skill development; digital platforms; digital financial services; and digital entrepreneurship. One key goal is to double access to broadband services across the continent by 2021.
The Forum Also Saw A New Alliance on Food Trade
The AGRF 2019 featured the launch of the new Africa Regional Food Trade Coalition. The Coalition was developed by a large and diverse coalition of leaders from the public and private sector. They are building on the foundation established by the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and market opportunities evidenced in the region’s $35 billion annual food import bill. The goal is to increase regional food trade via more predictable policies and mechanisms that encourage new agribusiness investments that capitalize on the rich diversity of farming ecologies across the continent.
A Regional Food Trade symposium showcased a number of data innovations that could help advance food trade in the region.
SMEs are Big Business in Africa Ag: The “Hidden Middle” Takes Center Stage
AGRF 2019 featured the launch of a provocative new report that busts a major myth of Africa agriculture: that there is a “missing middle” of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) available to power the region’s food systems. AGRA’s 2019 Africa Agricultural Status Report (AASR) presented new evidence that the “missing middle” is actually a “hidden middle” of SME-powered agri-food supply chains that recently has experienced a “quiet revolution.”
The report found that today, millions of SMEs are sourcing directly from millions more smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 64 percent of the volume of food consumed in the region. The report noted that the rise of SME’s has been largely unrecognized by policymakers, even as it has bridged gaps that previously separated most small-scale farmers from commercial markets.
“SMEs are the biggest investors in building markets for farmers in Africa today, and will likely remain so for the next 10-to-20 years,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA. “They were not missing, just hidden.”
For more information visit African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)’s website
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world.
AGCO Group has revealed plans for further development of the Future Farm project in Zambia. This was announced on 31 July 2019, at the 150ha farm outside Lusaka by Gary Collar, AGCO Senior Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific and Africa (APA) and the Future Farm Senior Manager, Kalongo Chitengi, during a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Her Royal Highness Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II; Chongwe District Commissioner, Mr. Robster Mwanza and Doreen Bailey, Political and Economic Section Chief at the US Embassy in Zambia.
Upgrades for Phase II will include the construction of student and staff accommodation with 24 rooms, communal amenities such as a canteen that sits over 80 people and an Insaka homestead – a traditional complex of grass gazebos with a central courtyard to encourage interactive learning. The second phase of the Future farm will also include upgrades to the existing road and farm infrastructure and digitizing the mechanization and agronomy training material to ensure that this knowledge is accessible even to farmers in remote parts of the continent.
Guests were welcomed by Nuradin Osman AGCO Vice President and General Manager, Africa who emphasized the significance of AGCO’s Africa strategy to empower the continent’s farmers as global Agri-preneurship shifts focus to see Africa as the answer to global agricultural expansion and food security. This is in line with AGCO’s vision for its business operations in Africa to develop and support a sustainable food production system, increase farm productivity by implementing modern farming techniques and develop a range of training courses for farmers, machine operators, and dealers.
“When we conceptualized the Future Farm, our aim was to be a catalyst in the development of a sustainable and prosperous agricultural industry across the continent, with innovative solutions built around the needs of African farmers,” explained Gary Collar. “To achieve this we are designing our solutions with Africa in mind and ensuring that we can support our products and customers, locally.”
While a project such as the Future Farm is committed to advancing African farmers to be owners of profitable agribusinesses, AGCO understands that the private sector cannot achieve a sustainable agricultural sector in Africa alone. There are other constraints slowing the speed of progress in Africa that need to be tackled in parallel with Governments.
“African Governments must look at agriculture beyond the development agenda, but rather as a profitable industry that can boost the region’s economy,” explained Nuradin Osman.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has identified Agriculture as central to its job creation and poverty alleviation strategy as the sector employs over 70% of the population and contributes 19% of the country’s GDP. The government is engaged in projects aimed at increasing the volume and value of Agricultural outputs produced and sold – particularly by small-hold farmers.
“I am so pleased that this development is happening in my chiefdom, for which agriculture is the main occupation. The AGCO tractor hire service and training piloted in my chiefdom have shown how better crop yields can be achieved and have already been positive for some of the farmers,” noted her Royal Highness Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II.
The cutting edge training facility was first launched in 2015 with an initial investment of 9 million US dollars and is designed to demonstrate the value of mechanization and best agronomy practices for both small and large scale commercial farming operations.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.
Representatives of the US government say plans are underway to establish the West African Trade Hub (WATH) in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria. This is in a bid to support the bilateral trade between Nigeria and the United States. Grace Adeyemo, Director of the Nigeria-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), said this at a conference for Prosper Africa, an initiative of the US government targeted at “creating an enabling environment for foreign and direct investment” in African countries.
Adeyemo expressed optimism about the economic prospects of the President Donald Trump-backed trade initiative, which, according to her, prompted the decision to move the trade hub into Nigeria.
She, however, noted that Nigerian entrepreneurs who seek access to opportunities that would accrue from the initiative through the hub would need to meet the regulatory standards required to break into the US/global market.
According to her, the NACC would also offer advice to prospective exporters who would like to take advantage of the tariff-free market on the US-Nigeria bilateral trade agreement.
“US representatives have told us that the West African Trade hub would now move into Nigeria to be situated in Abuja and Lagos. This is so that we can address our challenges and have the hub serve as an overseer reciprocatory for all we are going to be doing in the US,” she said.
“It will be launched anytime soon. It has always been in Ghana. US government is willing to support a partnership between US investors and Africa. Nigeria can latch onto that but we need to get it right first. We need to try to grow our businesses and add value to them.”
WATH is a one-stop-shop organization backed and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase the value and volume of West Africa’s exports by addressing challenges in intra-regional and export-oriented products.
Apart from synergizing with local regulatory agencies and policymakers to influence the business environment and attract investors, it is also targeted at promoting the two-way trade between Africa and the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
AGOA is a US policy that accords duty-free treatments to virtually all products that are exported to the US by beneficiary sub-Sahara African countries. Acclaimed as the cornerstone of US trade policy with Africa, it is aimed at facilitating the export of over 6,000 goods with no tariff.
Prosper Africa, a trade initiative launched by the Trump’s administration, is one aimed at synchronizing the efforts of the US government agencies to facilitate more deals between the US and African businesses and address trade/investment barriers.
Earl Gast, executive vice president of programs at Creative Associates International, said the end-result of the initiative would create more jobs for Nigerians. He said it would significantly grow the economies of both countries and improve the export capacity of Nigerian businesses.
“With Africa’s prosperity should come the US’ prosperity. We’re looking at how we can marry up the private sectors of both countries and, in the context of Nigeria, partner with the US capital know-how and exports,” he said.
“Economies would grow, jobs would be created through private sector development. Nigeria would export into the region, through AGOA strategy, and to the US. We’re also looking at US exports that might help grow companies in Nigeria so that they can take advantage of the US market.”
On her part, Florie Liser, CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), said the initiative would support US firms that intend on investing in Africa and develop the value of Nigerian products to enable the private sector benefit substantially from the value chain.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.
