Recent IFDC agribusiness support projects

Accelerating Agribusiness in Africa – Bridge (AAA-Bridge), 2011-2012

• The AAA-Bridge project was an extension of Strategic Alliance for Agricultural Development in Africa (SAADA-B) activities. 
• It was funded by the Netherlands' Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS)
• The objective of AAA-Bridge was to expand IFDC activities and best practices developed in West Africa, such as the Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises (CASE) solution, Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), fertilizer deep placement (FDP), fertilizer resource assessments and market information systems (MIS), into other regions of Africa. 
• Specifically, this project expansion was designed to replicate the CASE approach and other aspects of the IFDC agribusiness model in select countries of eastern and southern Africa.

Livelihoods and Enterprises for Agricultural Development (LEAD), 2008-2013 (IFDC support: 2008-2010)

• LEAD helped to raise rural agricultural productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers in Uganda, providing support to targeted smallholders who grow food and cash crops. Utilizing the value chain approach to agricultural development, the project improves productivity through training and access to quality agro-inputs and increases trade capacity and market competitiveness by building better market linkages. IFDC provided technical assistance to the LEAD project from 2008 to 2010.
• LEAD was the principal vehicle of USAID for transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In line with Feed the Future(FtF) activities of USAID-Uganda, USAID-LEAD supported the Mission’s aim of assisting the Government of Uganda (GoU) reach certain objectives under its Development Strategy and Investment Plan (DSIP) and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). 

LEAD Programs

Coffee Value Chain

In Uganda, the majority of Robusta coffee farmers sell dried coffee cherries (kiboko), which traders then hull to extract the green beans to be sold through to graders and exporters. For the sale of green beans, the coffee industry has well developed quality parameters and pricing strategies that reward better quality and penalize for high moisture, foreign matter and presence of black and other...

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Maize & Beans Value Chain

Unlike the coffee value chain, there is much less private sector-led investment in the maize and beans value chain. For one reason, margins for all businesses are significantly lower compared with coffee. To be profitable, businesses need to produce, trade, or process much larger volumes. One reason for low margins is that Ugandan maize is generally not of top quality due to poor post-harvest...

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Inputs Value Chain

The value chain of inputs to the agricultural sector, namely for seeds and agro-chemicals, is strongest at the level of import of agro-chemicals and production and import of seed and weakest at the retail of inputs to farmers. Large importers of agro-chemicals and seed companies routinely promote their products, especially new items or seed varieties. These companies often conduct field...

Related:
Experiences from some of the USAID LEAD agribusiness partners in maize, coffee and agro-inputs.

• On April 23 and 24, 2013, nearly 300 value chain actors that included farmers, traders, bank officials, the media, as well as local government officials met in Iganga and Mbale districts respectively to share experiences and build strong partnerships. This was during the 4th regional close out events organized by USAID LEAD as part of its overall exit strategy. The participants hailed from eight eastern Ugandan districts of Sironko, Kapchorwa, Tororo, Mbale, Iganga, Kamuli, Bugiri and Jinja.
• On May 23, 2013, over 150 maize, coffee and inputs value-chain stakeholders from Rubirizi, Mitooma, Bushenyi, Buhweju, Sheema, Ibanda and Kamwenge districts attended the last of the six USAID LEAD regional showcasing event in Bushenyi.