Agriculture: The Key to Inclusive Economic Growth
African agriculture is the fuel for continental economic growth, but the industry faces new challenges caused by recent events
ZZ2 : Growing for the Future
ZZ2’s farming roots date back to the 19th century, the van Zyl family continuing to honour its legacy while looking ahead to the future of an ever-changing agricultural sector.
Musika Development Initiatives : Agriculture for All
Musika is committed to helping Zambia’s smallholders access vital agricultural technologies, financing and training initiatives, and making the agricultural sector more accessible and diverse.
Limagrain Zaad South Africa : Organic Growth
Limagrain Zaad South Africa is a collaborative new venture aiming to provide high quality seed to farmers across the country.
Investing in a Continent: Olam International’s work in Central and Western Africa
Singapore-based Olam International plays a key role in ensuring food security across six continents, its Regional CFO for West and Central Africa, Sujay Sarkar, telling us more
Compagnie Sucriere Senegalaise : Securing Self-Sufficiency in Sugar
The story of Compagnie Sucriere Senegalaise, one of Senegal’s stalwart enterprises and most important socioeconomic drivers, and its bid to bolster food security.
Yara Côte d’Ivoire
Keeping it Green in Côte d’IvoireYara Côte d’Ivoire is working with local farmers to ensure sustainable growth, through high-quality fertiliser and agronomic education Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki Historically, Côte d’Ivoire has been economically dependent on farming. Back in 1960, agriculture accounted for 48 percent of the country’s GDP, predominantly thanks to its exports of cocoa. Fast forward to the present day and Côte d’Ivoire has also become one of the world’s biggest exporters of cashew nuts – palm oil, tropical fruits, cotton and rubber are also important agricultural exports. However, according to World Bank, despite the country’s economic situation improving, since 2012 agriculture has contributed just 14 percent of GDP growth. There are several reasons why Côte d’Ivoire’s agricultural sector has been constrained. Unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change and deforestation have led to low crop yields in previous years. Another reason is that agriculture is mainly conducted on a small scale, and smallholders often lack access to products that can increase yields, such as fertilisers. But Kanigui Yeo, General Manager of Yara Côte d’Ivoire, doesn’t just see problems – he also sees potential for growth and change. “Agriculture is a challenging but exciting space to be working in,” he says. “When you look at all the agri value chain in Côte d’Ivoire you will see problems and opportunities as well. The infrastructure is poor, and more than 95 percent of farmers are smallholders with limited literacy, growing mainly cash crops for the direct export market. “Most of them don’t apply the basic good agricultural practices and don’t have…
Tiger Animal Feeds and Tiger Chicks
Nourishing GrowthTiger Animal Feeds and Tiger Chicks contribute to the growth and profitability of Zambian farmers with its high-quality animal feed, world class broiler genetics and technical support Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: David Knott Across the world, demand for protein is growing in line with the world’s population. What this means, of course, is that demand for animal feed is growing alongside it. In Africa, there is a growing requirement for animal feed. Maize – which is the main ingredient in animal feed – is also a staple food to feed the human population. This means there can be a significant requirement for these commodities, placing strain on the resources to produce them. But one company has been doing its best to ensure farmers are able to purchase high-quality, cost-efficient animal feed. Enter Tiger Animal Feeds, which has been one of the leading animal feed manufacturers and suppliers in Zambia since 1996. It provides pet food as well as various types of livestock feed and nutritional supplements to Zambia and the region. “Our world-class range of feeds, strong distribution network and on-site nutritional service has greatly contributed to the growth and the profitability of farmers and the establishment of new farmers through training and aftersales support programmes,” explains Herman Nienaber, Chief Operating Officer at Tiger Animal Feeds.Supporting local farmersNienaber started working at Tiger Animal Feeds in 2009, becoming COO in 2013, and brings his long-held passions for agriculture and nutrition to the role. “I was raised on a maize farm in South Africa and as a result I developed a…
Kenchic Ltd
Feeding a NationAn introduction to Kenchic, Kenya’s leading poultry enterprise is part of an industry with huge potential to transform the country’s agricultural fortunes Project Manager: Ben Weaver The world is, undeniably, rearing and eating more and more meat. In 2011 almost 300 million tonnes of meat were produced, a figure which is estimated to rise to around 465 million tonnes by the time we reach the midpoint of this century. And in the 40 years between 1977 and 2017, production tripled to 600 billion pounds, far outstripping population growth, which measured 81 percent during the same period. Furthermore, approximately 70 billion domestic animals are raised for food consumption purposes every year, a process which accounts for a quarter of all water use in agriculture. Meat production is then, in short, a massive business and critical source of nutrition for populations the world over. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), people in developing countries consume just over 70 pounds of meat annually; far less than the 176 pounds eaten by the average person in a developed nation. Chicken is the second most popular meat consumed in the world, with 99.7 million tonnes consumed annually according to FAO figures (pork, the world’s most popular meat, stands at 121 million tonnes). In the USA, the average consumer eats some 43 kilos of poultry a year. In Africa, poultry is an economical and vital source of protein for millions of people. Take Kenya. Its huge agriculture sector accounts for around a quarter of the East African nation’s entire gross domestic product,…
Musika Development Initiatives
The Agrarian AcceleratorMusika Development Initiatives continues to enable smallholder farmers across Zambia access to agribusiness and their resources, the collective impact sure to help the country realise its massive agricultural potential Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Matthew Selby Zambia, it is fair to say, has enormous agricultural potential.Home to 42 million hectares of suitable farming land and some 40 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s entire water supply, the landlocked East African nation is yet to fully exploit these favourable conditions. Indeed, just 15 percent of the 42 million hectares is being cultivated. This is not to suggest agriculture is not already a vital economic contributor, however. The sector currently accounts for 19 percent of GDP and employs three quarters of the country’s workforce, with maize, sorghum, millet, and cassava, sugar, soybeans, coffee, groundnuts, rice, and cotton all important crops.But the room to maneuver into is massive. Mechanisation of irrigation and general farming practices represent two clear opportunities for growth, the likes of which are being explored by organisations such as Musika Development Initiatives.Translating to ‘market’ in local dialect, Musika was formed in 2010 to stimulate private market activity in Zambia’s agricultural sector, linking agribusinesses with smallholder farmers who would otherwise have no means of accessing such resources and expertise.“Musika was born out of work with USAID on a project called PROFIT which started in 2005 and ended in 2011,” explains Reuben Banda, the organisation’s Managing Director. “We drove a lot of market and private sector development in Zambia and decided to come up with a local entity called Musika.“This essentially…
