Northern Zambia has scant formal infrastructure and employment, and is highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture, despite being naturally rich in water. Until now, Zambia has also been 100% reliant on imported seed potatoes, an economically important food crop.
Along with success comes challenges. Traditionally perceived as a ‘women’s crop’, groundnuts were predominantly grown for home consumption and rarely attracted male farmers in Zambia.
Inspired by the success of another AgDevCo investment, and following a $3.9 million debt and equity investment from AgDevCo, Westfalia Fruto established a commercial avocado plantation in central Mozambique, becoming the country’s first large-scale avocado exporter.
AgDevCo’s initial $6.3 million investment in this flagship project in Ghana is expected to catalyse millions of dollars of private investment to help make the Babator irrigation scheme the country’s largest irrigated food hub.
Investment in a sophisticated cold chain has moved EA fruits in Tanzania one step closer towards realising its longer-term aim of working with supermarkets and larger retailers. The business can now meet the requirements for the consistent quality and quantity of produce associated with formal supply contracts.
Through ECA in central Mozambique, thousands of smallholder farmers have been connected to commercial buyers, who offer stable pricing and volumes in return for improved grain quality and service. The ECA model has proved its commercial worth and potential to be replicated elsewhere.
Read how AgDevCo's SDU showcases best practices to promote women’s economic empowerment in outgrower schemes.
AgDevCo is pleased to announce it has closed a $2.5 million investment in the Suma Hydro project, a 1 mega-watt (MW) hydroelectric power plant in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands.
AgDevCo, an impact investor, announced a second-round investment of US$1.95m into Katito Farming Enterprises Limited (“Katito”) in Mbala, Northern Zambia. This follows an investment of US$5.05m in 2016.
Despite contributing substantially to agricultural production, female farmers in sub-Saharan Africa face numerous constraints that limit their productivity and their inclusion in smallholder schemes.
In this interview, Sandi Roberts explains how helping agribusinesses in Africa can help smallholder farmers produce more and increase their incomes.
AgDevCo’s Smallholder Development Unit (SDU) today announced new partnerships with a Senegalese rice miller and a Mozambican livestock company.