Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Young Innovators in Agribusiness Competition

4 September 2015. The USAID-supported East Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Syngenta and the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), have launched the second edition of the agribusiness competition dubbed “Young Innovators in Agribusiness Competition.”

This follows last year’s successful Agribusiness competition that attracted over 800 participants from sub-Saharan Africa. Out of the 35 youth finalists, ten have gone on to win other prizes in the energy and agribusiness sectors; ten have expanded and retained their agro-related enterprises and 15 are employed or pursuing higher education.

This year’s competition is open to East African youth aged 18-35 years, who reside in the East African Community, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Mauritius or Madagascar, and have a start-up or small and medium sized enterprise (SME) involved in the agricultural value chain.

Deadline for SMEs extended to October 30, 2015

THE 3 ESSAY FINALISTS of AgriBiz4Africa 2014 were:

Nickson Muturi - Kenya
Bites Cassava Millers Ltd.The business idea provides whole meal solution through cassava. It entails diversifying cassava products to increase its production through human food and chicken feed. Mr Muturi is currently supplying 26 poultry farmers with chicken feeds, 1 bakery, 2 hotels, 3 health clinics and 1 early childhood development center. His business idea can be applied to other starch food such as rice, yams, maize, millet and sorghum.

Kevin Muriithi Kithinji - Kenya

‘ACX Solutions’ Dubbed a one Stop Shop Solution for Small Holder Farmers, the business venture provides farmers with proper knowledge and input on how to plant, manage, harvest and package indigenous vegetables as well as link farmers to vegetable markets.The business has the beginner’s kit designed to interest people into farming especially those with small pieces of land and Commercial kit and the enterprise kit designed for those taking farming as a business venture. Mr Kithinji works with 7 farmers, who have bought the project kits. The project has a model farm currently training 10 farmers on monthly basis on how to tap into the indigenous vegetable markets. He is currently developing an online platform which will link farmers to market and consumers to the farmers. This process is replicable to any other exotic vegetables.

Olayiwola Adeyemi - Nigeria
‘Vegetable Snack’ idea is a Ready-to-Eat Vegetable Snacks venture focussing on processing carrots to produce crisps, powder and juice. These products are aimed to promote healthy eating, stimulate consumption, demand and prevent post harvest wastage. Currently working with 4 suppliers from Northern Nigeria, the vegetable snacks alternatives are also possible with leafy green vegetables.

THE 3 VIDEO FINALISTS of AgriBiz4Africa 2014 were:
Larry Kenya - Kenya
3-D Farming - It involves transferring best farming practices to smallholder farmers by uploading successful farming ventures into best practice.

Peter Gachanja - Kenya
The Vegetable ATM - Communication idea focuses on how to earn quick money through vegetable production.

Fatimah Oyiza Ademoh - Nigeria
Youth Agrbiz Training - Message idea focuses on how youth can earn through agriculture while learning.

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