Resources
Explore our resources of valuable insights, tools, and materials to enhance your knowledge and skills.
This short guide summarises the business case for using video to communicate with and provide training to smallholder farmers.
Many agribusinesses are now using video as a tool to communicate with smallholder farmers and to provide extension services effectively and efficiently. This document provides practical guidance for agribusiness managers on deciding how to use video, developing content, and on how to share videos with farmers.
Digital technologies provide great opportunities for agribusinesses to streamline their operations, create new business models, expand to new markets, and reach more smallholder farmers. This document provides step-by-step guidance for agribusinesses to assess their requirements and develop a technology strategy, based on AgDevCo's experience of working with several of our investees and partners as they go through this process.
In this three-step guidance document AgDevCo shares lessons learned and practical tips to help commercial agribusinesses realise their full business potential through well-designed and inclusive smallholder outgrower schemes.
How can impact investing boost the economy of undeveloped areas? Read this case study on Katito Farm in Northern Zambia.
Aiming to raise farmer incomes by increasing yields by 50%, 10,000 smallholder farmers are benefitting from video-based technical support and training on good agricultural practices. This baseline report discovered approximately half (49%) of farmers surveyed were living below the food poverty line.
With support from AgDevCo’s Smallholder Development Unit (SDU), the scheme aims to benefit over 4,000 farmers. Over the course of three years, household incomes are expected to increase by up to $200 per annum. This baseline survey indicates the poverty rate of Tropha households (37%) is still slightly higher than the national poverty rate (32%), and the poorest of the poor are more likely to be living in female-headed households.
Improving extension services with a non-recoverable investment of $335,000 aims to raise the annual average income of smallholder farmers by 131% by 2021. The farmers surveyed are generally poorer than the population of Tanzania as a whole – 24% were living below the national poverty line.
AgDevCo’s Smallholder Development Unit is supporting GADC to provide microloans and training to build financial skills, with the aim of stabilising household incomes, and improving productivity. The VSLA members are generally poorer than the population of Uganda as a whole, with 20% of members found to be living below the national poverty line for Uganda. When asked, 13% of respondents reported to having eaten only one meal the previous day.
Rungwe Avocado Company (RAC) is investing in Tanzania’s avocado production to reach international market standards. RAC outgrowers will benefit from AgDevCo’s Smallholder Development Unit support through improved extension services. The goal is for 75% of avocados procured from smallholder farmers to be of export quality.
Our team in Malawi provides regular support to management to strengthen governance, operations and financial performance. The company is working directly with farmers to increase productivity and reduce aflatoxin levels, through an extension programme supported by our Smallholder Development Unit.
In this blog post, Sandi Roberts explains three practical steps agribusinesses can take to help close the gender gap in smallholder outgrower schemes.